


Saint Nicholas

by verhalen



Series: Fire In Winter [1]
Category: Flameborn (Multiverse), Flameborn Omegaverse, Star Wars - All Media Types, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alpha Anthony, Alpha Nicholas, Alternate Universe, Awkward Crush, Christmas, Double Penetration, Established Relationship, Heat Partnering, Knotting, Light Bondage, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, May/December Relationship, Modern Era, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Older Man/Younger Man, Omega Verse, Parenthood, Playing in the Snow, Polyamory Negotiations, Slice of Life, Soren being Soren, Threesome - M/M/M, Winter, omega soren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:28:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28168500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verhalen/pseuds/verhalen
Summary: Anthony, an Alpha, and his Omega mate Sören have a peaceful, happy life with their small daughter Rey.  Now they have a new next-door neighbor, and a mission to spread holiday cheer and the Christmas spirit...
Relationships: Nicholas Decaux (OMC)/Sören Sigurðsson (OMC)/Anthony Hewlett-Johnson (OMC)
Series: Fire In Winter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084895
Kudos: 16





	1. Being Neighborly

**Author's Note:**

> Sören Sigurðsson and Anthony Hewlett-Johnson are my OMCs. For more information, please refer to my [Transformative Works Statement](https://verhalen.dreamwidth.org/263827.html).
> 
> Nicholas Decaux is an OMC inspired by Count Dooku from Star Wars. Rhiannon "Rey" Hewlett-Johnson is inspired by Rey from Star Wars, but is a smol here.
> 
> ~ ~ ~
> 
> The first version of this story was originally posted by me in July 2020 and I took it down later in the year for personal reasons. I have since decided to repost the story because it's the holidays and I reworked the story a bit, featuring only my OCs, and this story now has an Omega Verse setting (which the original did not); I am also adding to the story (which was only 4 chapters and had no smut).
> 
> In the future I will revisit this world with a story of how Sören and Anthony met in Reykjavik, and a sequel to this fic involving a certain "Mark".
> 
> Finally, this story will read like original fiction rather than anything adjacent to Tolkien fandom unless you are familiar with other works in this multiverse and the characters involved. I have listed it in the Tolkien fandom tags for the ease of people following along with the multiverse who are not otherwise subscribed.
> 
> Happy holidays :)

**December 2014**  
  
  
Since their next-door neighbor had moved out in October, Anthony and Sören had both been nervous about who might move in. The gentleman who lived in the flat underneath theirs, Edmund Bilingsley, had assured them that it would be fine, but Anthony hadn't forgotten the comment Edmund had made when they first looked at the property over five years ago – _"some of the previous tenants have been less than polite"_ \- and Anthony wondered how Edmund could be so sure of that. And with little Rey around, and his Omega husband to protect, Anthony thought it was better to err on the side of caution.  
  
So he'd been carefully, quietly watching the developments with the property. "Snooping," Sören had accused. " _Observing_ ," Anthony had corrected him. And at last after digging around, he had some information; the property next door was being bought by a certain Nicholas Decaux, a man in his sixties, who had opened a French-fusion seafood restaurant in Brighton that fall, Fête de la Sirène, where Anthony had been meaning to take Sören one of these nights. Anthony deduced that Nicholas Decaux was tired of the daily commute to and from London - a commute Anthony still made himself to Lincoln's Inn - and wanted his work to be closer to home.  
  
Of all the neighbors to have, they could do far worse. And now, with the moving van outside on a Saturday morning, Anthony was spying, or rather, _observing_ its contents - the furniture, and what he could make out from the tops of the boxes being carried inside. Nicholas Decaux had furniture all of a clean, simple-but-elegant Scandinavian design, a large book collection, a large vinyl records collection, even a vintage record player. Anthony already approved of him.  
  
Sören came over while Anthony was watching out the window, arms encircling him from behind. Anthony breathed in Sören's comforting Omega scent, like cherry blossoms with a touch of woodsmoke. He smiled as Sören rubbed his nose in the hollow of his neck, and shivered when Sören planted a little kiss there, knowing he was sensitive. "Whatcha doin?" Sören asked. "Are there birds?"  
  
Anthony chuckled; Sören knew him too well, and it was an overcast, damp sort of day, perfect bird weather. "Of a sort. One has come to roost." He pointed out the window at the moving van, and the very tall, silver-haired-and-bearded gentleman in a trenchcoat and fedora taking things out of the van.  
  
"Oh, is that our neighbor?" Sören stepped beside Anthony to get a closer look, and then his mouth opened, full lips making a little "o". Sören scratched his beard and ran a nervous hand through his unruly mop of dark curls. "We should, like, go help him."  
  
"I don't want to come off like I'm intruding. Some people are very private about their personal belongings."  
  
"It's polite," Sören said.  
  
Anthony internally remarked on being lectured about politeness by an Icelander - when they'd visited Reykjavik a few years ago, Anthony had been astounded by how people just bumped into people without saying "excuse me", and nobody apologized for burping or passing gas in public, people picked their teeth right there at the table - and then somehow, Sören was dragging him to their coatrack and they were heading downstairs.  
  
Their new neighbor paused in his tracks, holding a box of glassware. Sören gave a big wave, his other arm locked with Anthony's. The "are you a homophobe?" test – and with it, the test of accepting a male Omega, who were rare enough, gay ones even moreso.  
  
The older man was extremely handsome at a closer glance. Six-five, lean build, trim, probably played a sport or did something like running or swimming when he was younger. High cheekbones, patrician nose, olive-skinned, bushy salt-and-pepper brows with heavy-lidded, intense dark eyes that regarded them warily, but Anthony didn't sense hostility from him, only the sense that he was being interrupted.

And that the older man was an Alpha, like him. Anthony's nostrils twitched at the cedar-and-musk notes on the wind.  
  
"Hi," Sören said. "We're your new neighbors."  
  
"Hello," Anthony said, feeling weirdly shy in the presence of a very attractive man, one who reminded him of the first time he'd fallen in love, in Sweden in his early twenties, a man thirty years Anthony's senior – another Alpha. This wasn't Mikael; this man was better-looking than Mikael.  
  
"Good morning," their neighbor said. "Pleasure to meet you. This is a lovely neighborhood, isn't it?"  
  
He had a nice voice, too, bass, deeper even than Anthony's, Londoner, sounded like he had been public school educated. Velvety smooth.  
  
"We couldn't help notice you, ah... you're moving in," Sören said. "You've got a lot of stuff, that's a lot for one person. We could help you..."  
  
Nicholas's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. "I'm sixty-five, not ninety; that shan't be necessary, I shall manage."  
  
 _Wow, someone's defensive about getting older._ Anthony didn't say it aloud, but already they were off on the wrong foot, and Anthony was hoping Nicholas wasn't going to be one of those cranky old men who complained about cooking smells and every random noise and especially not the noise an exuberant four-year-old made. Cranky old Alphas were the worst.  
  
But before he could grab Sören and pull him inside, Sören of course had to say, "Hi Sixty-Five Not Ninety That Shan't Be Necessary I Shall Manage, I'm Sören."  
  
"Oh god, Sören..." Anthony facepalmed.  
  
Nicholas's jaw dropped, and then he turned beetroot and began to shake with silent laughter that became a chuckle. Sören grinned - a grin that lit up his whole face - and Nicholas's breath hitched. Then Nicholas cleared his throat and said, "I apologize. I'm used to people assuming I'm frail because of my age..." And of course, he was Alpha enough to feel defensive about that.  
  
"I imagined as much," Anthony said, nodding. "Our offer wasn't because we think you're not physically capable, we're just trying to be good neighbors. We'd offer whether you were twenty or ninety."  
  
"All right." Nicholas gave a small nod. "I also didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Nicholas -"  
  
"Decaux," Anthony finished, and when Nicholas's eyebrow went up, Anthony said, "I make it a point to know who our neighbors are." There was a thinly veiled threat in that sentence, but he hoped for all their sakes that this would be a good arrangement.  
  
"Indeed," Nicholas said.  
  
"And yes, that's my partner, Sören Sigurðsson, he's from Iceland..." Anthony gestured to Sören who gave another big, over-eager, dorky wave, and then Anthony said, "I'm Anthony Hewlett-Johnson."  
  
"Cornelius Anthony," Sören muttered, and Anthony elbowed him. Sören tilted his head to grin up at him and gave him a little kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hewlett-Johnson, why does that name sound familiar..." Nicholas gave them a thoughtful look.  
  
"I'm a barrister, I've been involved in some high-profile court cases," Anthony said. "Or you may have heard of my cousin Alistair, the Olympic sport fencer." _Alistair the Arsehole._ Alistair hated him, and the feeling was mutual.  
  
"Hm," Nicholas said. "A barrister? I considered going into law, once."  
  
"You escaped," Anthony said, with a small chuckle. "You got out with your life."  
  
"Perhaps." Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at the moving van. "You should see boxes of china and crystal next in line to go. Please be careful..."  
  
"Sure thing," Sören said, and dragged Anthony along to the back of the van.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Though Nicholas had a hand truck for moving heavier objects without assistance, there were still some pieces of furniture where Anthony was glad Sören had insisted they help, heavy dressers and a wardrobe. Anthony observed that Nicholas owned a futon, which meant he probably slept alone at night, and he found himself wondering about Nicholas's dating or marital status and feeling keenly self-conscious at that wondering.  
  
 _You have a partner, for Christ's sake._  
  
When the moving van was emptied, Nicholas needed to take a break before driving it back to the company. "I would invite you in for tea," Nicholas said, "but I'm afraid everything is boxed up -"  
  
"Come have tea with us," Sören invited, and then he bit his lip, looking sheepish, as if he realized he should have consulted Anthony first.  
  
But Anthony was fine with it. He nodded. "Yes, we'll all have tea."  
  
Nicholas came upstairs with them and removed his trenchcoat and fedora, revealing all black, simple yet elegant. His black outfit matched Sören, also all in black; Anthony was wearing a navy blue sweater and faded jeans. Anthony made tea while Sören and Nicholas waited. Seumas, a big grey tabby, came over to sniff the new person and promptly hopped on Nicholas's lap, headbutting and purring.  
  
"Oh, what a good boy." Nicholas stroked the cat, smiling fondly. "What a beautiful boy."  
  
"You like cats?" Sören asked.  
  
"I love cats. I intend on adopting a cat of my own once I'm all settled. Is he your only cat?"  
  
"At the moment," Sören said. He gave Anthony a pointed look. "We're thinking about getting another cat. You might see them prowling around outside once in awhile, they're allowed to go down in the garden when it's not winter."  
  
"That's another thing I'm looking forward to," Nicholas said. "Gardening."  
  
"Oh, good." Anthony felt relieved at this, and also a little excited, someone he could "talk shop" with about plants, other than his father. "You'll have to see the garden when spring comes. It's my pride and joy. Well, besides..."  
  
As if on cue, Anthony's mother Elaine pulled up. She had taken Anthony and Sören's daughter Rey out shopping. “Can you excuse me for a moment?” Sören asked. “I have to go outside -”

Anthony watched out the window as Rey hopped out of the car and immediately ran to Sören, screaming “MUMDAD!” Sören scooped her up, kissing her cheeks, laughing. Then Sören said a few words to Elaine – probably explaining they had company - and Anthony watched as Elaine waved as she drove off.

A few minutes later Sören and Rey were back upstairs, with Sören carrying the shopping bags, and Rey went right to Anthony. “Papa!”

“Now, Rey, you know you're supposed to take off your shoes and coat when we get inside," Sören gently chided.  
  
"Sorry, Mummy, I forgot." Rey began to take off her shoes, then her coat, and ran back over to the shoe rack and coatrack. Rey's black hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing a black sweater with Rudolph on it, and red corduroy trousers that matched Rudolph's nose; her dark blue socks had unicorns farting rainbows on them, which was Sören's doing.

“That's your daughter?” Nicholas asked.

“Yes,” Anthony said. “Rhiannon, or Rey, for short. She's four.”  
  
Rey's brown eyes were as wide as the saucers Anthony was now bringing over with the tea service. "Hi! Hi! Are you Saint Nick?" Rey asked. "Santa Claus?"  
  
Sören and Anthony facepalmed in unison. Anthony sat down next to Sören, with Rey sitting on Sören 's lap. "That's not Father Christmas, honey," Anthony said to Rey.  
  
"How do you know?" Sören asked, teasing. "Maybe it's one of the Yule Lads, checking up on us to make sure we've been good."  
  
"Yule... Lads?" Nicholas blinked with confusion.  
  
"The Jólasveinar," Sören said. "Reporting on us so Grýla and Leppalúði don't -"  
  
"Oh god, Sören, let's not scare away our new neighbor," Anthony said, trying not to laugh. “...Yet.”  
  
"We went Christmas shopping," Rey informed her parents, who already knew this. "We got things to make sure the Yule Cat doesn't eat everyone." They did not already know this.  
  
"That was supposed to be a surprise," Anthony said, frowning.  
  
"Well, she didn't say what those things _are_ ," Sören said. "I mean, I kind of take it as a given we're going to get clothes so the Yule Cat doesn't eat us..."  
  
Nicholas was looking at them like they were crazy. Anthony gave a too-hearty laugh, and drank his tea. "Were you good for Grandma?" Anthony looked at Rey.

“Yeah,” Rey said. She looked at Nicholas. “I was good, Saint Nick.”  
  
"Oh god, I'm sorry," Anthony said, face on fire. Nicholas had already been bristly about his age and Anthony was sure this wasn't helping, though Anthony was starting to understand why Mommy might be kissing Santa Claus in the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". _He could stuff my stocking if he wanted to._  
  
Nicholas chuckled. "No, dear, I'm not Father Christmas, or one of the... er... Yule Lads," Nicholas informed Rey. "Probably." He winked.  
  
Sören attempted a wink back, more of a clumsy blink that Anthony always found endearing, and kind of weirdly sexy. Then Sören bit his lower lip and Anthony wondered if Sören fancied him too.  
  
 _Well, this got a lot more interesting._  
  
"Rey means well," Anthony said, patting their daughter. "She's a very spirited child."  
  
"A lot like me when I was younger," Sören said, and poked the tip of Rey's nose.  
  
"And me." Anthony laughed softly. "I was always shocking grownups when I was younger."  
  
Nicholas sipped his tea, and Anthony saw that he looked a little uncomfortable, and Anthony braced himself, not wanting this to turn into another situation like ones they'd been in before. At least Anthony could avoid his cousin; it was harder with someone living right next door. Anthony challenged, "Yes?"  
  
"Oh, just..." Nicholas gave a nervous chuckle. "Forgive me, I don't mean to be rude, but... as you know, Alphas and Omegas exist, this is just the first time I've met a male pair who's had a child. It's rather curious to me.”

"Curiosity I can't fault someone for," Anthony said. "It's where it becomes judgment that I do."  
  
"I shan't judge consenting adults. There is little enough love in this world for me to scorn it. And, I don't normally announce this right away if at all, but I myself... I'm gay."  
  
"Ah," Anthony said. He breathed a small sigh of relief, and he noticed Sören's tension relaxing.  
  
And then to defuse the tension further, Sören went there. "Hi Gay."  
  
Nicholas groaned into his tea, but his eyes were smiling.

A gay Alpha. _This got_ even more _interesting._  
  
“And it's good she went out with her grandmother," Nicholas said, nodding. "I've always thought the two-person nuclear family was detrimental to a child's well-being, and they should have more adults around to share in parenting and provide guidance and nurturing."  
  
"She's very well-loved," Sören said, and Rey grinned, a smile that always broke Anthony's heart every time. He loved their daughter so much. He loved Sören fiercely, too.  
  
"Well, I'm glad it won't be a problem," Anthony said. "I admit, we were all a bit concerned that our new neighbor would be judgmental."  
  
"No judgment here," Nicholas said. "At least, not about those matters. If I hear Justin Bieber or whatever it is the youth are listening to these days through the walls, that's another story."  
  
Sören's laughter rang out. "No Justin Bieber." He gave a guilty grin. "Just... some Snoop Dogg sometimes."  
  
Nicholas made a face.  
  
"And Pharrell," Anthony added. "But also a lot of different genres. Between the two of us we're pretty eclectic. I noticed your vinyl collection, I'm a vinyl aficionado myself."  
  
"Splendid," Nicholas said, looking a little less grumpy. "Perhaps sometime you should come for tea and take a look at my collection."  
  
 _That's not all I'd like to look at._ Anthony's face was on fire again, mortified that he was thinking like this, especially someone he'd just met; his cruising days were long over. _Get a fucking hold of yourself._  
  
When the tea was finished, Sören asked, "Would you like to stay and watch a Christmas movie with us?"  
  
"Some other time, perhaps," Nicholas said, looking at the clock. "I have to start unpacking some of my things before it gets too much later."  
  
"Do you want some help?" Sören asked.  
  
"Thank you, but no. I need to figure out where I'm putting everything."  
  
"All right. Well... it was nice meeting you," Sören said.  
  
"Same here," Nicholas said. "You have a lovely little family." Anthony thought he detected a faint wistfulness in Nicholas's voice, and he wondered about it as they walked Nicholas to the door.  
  
Rey tugged on the hem of Nicholas's shirt and waved up at him. "Bye, Saint Nick."  
  
Nicholas chuckled and patted her. "As you know, I'm not Saint Nicholas, dear."  
  
Rey's face lit up and Anthony muttered " _oh no_ " just as Rey took a cue from Sören. "Hi Not Saint Nicholas Dear..."  
  
" _Rhiannon Hewlett-Johnson_." Sören pulled her back inside, but he was laughing into Anthony's waiting arms.


	2. Deck the Halls

It had become customary for Sören to wait outside with Rey for Anthony to get home from work in the evening. Sören sometimes wished that Anthony worked here in Brighton instead of the daily commute to and from London, but he knew how important Anthony's career was to him.  
  
Finally Sören saw Anthony's Audi Q7 SUV roll down the street. He had sold his A6 when Sören was pregnant with Rey, to get something more family-oriented... but it was of course still an Audi, which amused Sören to no end.  
  
Sören picked up Rey and Rey began waving frantically, calling down the street. "HI PAPA! HI PAPA! PAPA! HI! HI!"  
  
Sören laughed, tickled by his daughter's exuberance. She got even louder as the Audi Q7 pulled up to the curb. "PAPA! PAPA! HI PAPA! HI PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! HI PAPA! HI!"  
  
The snow was starting to fall, and Sören's breath caught as Anthony stepped out of the Audi, looking dapper in his black wool greatcoat, snow falling on his coat and in his short, neat black hair. Anthony's face lit up at the sight of them and Sören couldn't help grinning back, feeling that flutter in his stomach like a boy with a stupid crush. Anthony picked up Rey out of Sören's arms and spun her around, making her squeal before she settled against his chest and shoulder, and he kissed her cheek and the tip of her nose. Then he gave Sören a sweet but chaste kiss, since their daughter was watching. "Hi Brown Eyes," Anthony said, poking the tip of Sören's nose. Sören kissed his index finger as it withdrew.  
  
"Hi, _elskan._ " Sören bit his lower lip.  
  
"I'm happy to see you." Anthony stroked Sören's cheek and skritched his beard, still smiling.  
  
Sören couldn't resist. "Hi Happy To See You."  
  
" _God._ "  
  
Sören's laughter rang out - eight years and he still walked into it. Anthony gave Sören a mock stern look, eyes laughing, and he shooed Sören inside, carrying Rey up the stairs, with Rey singing, "Papa's home, Papa's home, yay Papa's home..."

Anthony put on tea as soon as he came inside. He stole a kiss from Sören, and began to remove his shoes and his greatcoat, and then he went down the hall to get out of his suit.  
  
"Remember that we're going to the tree place after dinner," Sören called down.  
  
"Trust me, I haven't forgotten," Anthony called back.  
  
Sören of course knew from eight years that Anthony did indeed rarely forget things, or at least, not important or useful things - Anthony had a habit of misplacing his glasses, and sometimes was easily distracted. But even though it seemed pointless to remind him about something like their impending trip to the tree lot, it was still force of habit for Sören. He was glad Anthony didn't take it as nagging and seemed to understand it was worry. They were both pretty understanding of each other's quirks.  
  
It was December tenth, and over the last several years it had been their custom to start decorating today on the tenth, a fortnight before Christmas. Sören would have waited until the twenty-third or twenty-fourth, as many Icelanders typically didn't decorate until the last minute, but he wasn't living in Iceland anymore and it wasn't uncommon to see businesses and residences start putting up decorations sometime in November.  
  
The three of them were taking Rey to a tree lot not to buy a real Christmas tree, but to buy a wreath and some other real greenery. When this had all started years ago Anthony had wanted a real Christmas tree, and they'd had one in their tiny flat, and then Sören had gotten very distressed and explained to Anthony, "I can feel the tree dying." It sounded completely daft - Sören feared for his own sanity as he felt it - and he'd worried they would think he was crazy as soon as it came out of his mouth, but of course, they had been sympathetic. So since that time they didn't put up a real Christmas tree, but Sören had compromised a little with Anthony's desire for the evergreen smell and a touch of greenery that wasn't fake by agreeing to get fresh wreaths and boughs made from cuttings. Sören still frowned at the tree lot, but they wouldn't be there for long.  
  
As far as the tree itself, Anthony had objected to a fake evergreen, saying they looked garish, and suggested they get a fiber optic Christmas tree. The one Anthony picked out had lights that changed from silver to gold, and Edmund Billingsley always liked to come see it once it was up - he was supposed to visit around nine-thirty, after Rey went to bed.  
  
Sören and Anthony worked on making dinner together, giving Rey minor tasks to help, and then as dinner cooked, started to get everything set up, starting with the tree itself. Rey clapped and jumped up and down when the tree was turned on, filling the living room with light. Sören and Anthony put an arm around each other, watching the tree change from silver to gold. Sören felt a tight ache in his chest, a lump in his throat, tears in his eyes. He was self-conscious about it, being sentimental like this over a fake tree, but year after year it still was like a gut punch to his emotions, when the silver changed to gold and back again for the first time.  
  
In his mind's eye Sören saw a vision of two men with long black hair and a man with a flood of silver-gold hair standing on a hill, looking up at a clear sky full of stars, and streaks and clouds of silver and gold lights playing across it like an aurora borealis and sunset in one. _I should paint that sometime,_ Sören thought to himself.  
  
Then the mental image went away, and he was snapped back to the here and now.  
  
Sören put on Christmas music, and Rey and Anthony began putting ornaments on the tree. Seumas absconded with a ball, carrying it in his mouth then rolling it around on the kitchen floor until Anthony took it away and returned it. Sören carefully unpacked the boxes of small sculptures he'd made of Jólakötturinn, the Jólasveinar, Grýla and Leppalúði.  
  
Anthony had been initially against teaching Rey about Santa Claus, saying "I don't want to lie to our daughter," but then his mother Elaine had pointed out there was no way to escape Father Christmas and it would just make Rey feel left out. Sören had then said this would be a good way to teach their daughter about Icelandic culture as well as pique her curiosity about other holiday traditions around the world, and by extension other cultures around the world, and Anthony couldn't argue with that. But also, Sören knew - and he was sure Anthony had figured this out himself - that incorporating Jólakötturinn, the Jólasveinar, Grýla and Leppalúði into their family Christmas celebration wasn't just for Rey, but for his own inner child, who hadn't had a proper Christmas since his mother died, and before Anthony came along. And it was even better to see it through the wondering eyes of a child.  
  
Sören began to place the sculptures on the mantle above the fireplace. Rey stopped hanging ornaments on the lower boughs of the tree and looked up at him. "Can I help?"  
  
Sören was anxious about his sculptures getting broken, but he also didn't want to tell her no. "If I can help you help," Sören said, smiling. "You have to handle them really gently, OK?"  
  
Rey nodded solemnly.  
  
Sören picked her up, and Anthony passed them one sculpture at a time, and as Sören held her, Rey put the sculptures down across the mantle. Nothing got broken, and Sören breathed a sigh of relief as he put her back down on the floor and adjusted them, spacing them out just so. "Yay, I helped," Rey said.  
  
Sören got to do the honors of hanging the stockings above the mantle, and then he also helped Anthony and Rey trim the tree as dinner simmered. Sören hung fairy lights around the mantle and doorframes, then got on a ladder and hung the fake mistletoe - that had been one piece of greenery they had all agreed could be fake, since it was poisonous and they didn't need an accident with Rey or the cat. Then Sören joined in the tree trimming, until dinner was ready.  
  
"Oh shit," Sören said when one of his favorite Christmas songs came on, then when Rey giggled, he said, "I mean, ah... oh poop." He turned it up and began to sing along, channeling his inner diva as best as he could.  
  
 _I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree  
I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true oh  
All I want for Christmas is you_  
  
Sören grabbed Anthony and began to dance with him around the living room as Rey laughed.  
  
_  
  
After dinner Sören did the dishes, then they bundled up and got in the Audi Q7. Sören could see the Christmas lights from the window and it made him smile. Then he looked over at their new neighbor's flat. Nicholas had of course just moved in a few days ago but Sören got the sense he was the type of guy to unpack everything as soon as possible, so the lack of a wreath or any visible decorations seemed a bit jarring to him, and Sören wondered about that before they left the street.  
  
The tree lot was adjacent to a Christmas market, and Rey wheedled them into going. They bought cups of hot cocoa and fresh roasted chestnuts and walked around the market together, looking at the stalls of crafts, trying to resist impulse buying. Anthony ended up buying a handmade Rudolph doll for Rey, who hugged it and skipped happily. At the same stall, while Anthony was distracted by Rey "making Rudolph fly", Sören covertly bought a cheesy pair of cloth antlers for Seumas, and a pair of antlers for himself and one for Anthony, cackling as he tucked the bag into his coat.  
  
Though Sören was old hat at going to a tree lot to pick out wreaths and boughs each year, it seemed like it was taking even longer this year now that they had Rey and were letting her help with the selection. Not that Sören minded, enjoying seeing their daughter's delight in the seemingly infinite selection of wreath designs. At last Rey picked one out that, along with the traditional greenery and cones, had glittery berries and glittery fake birds. "They can be friends with the ravens," Rey said.  
  
Anthony chuckled and tousled her hair; years ago Sören had made a painting of two ravens in a tree, which sat guarding their entryway, and Rey had "conversations" with the ravens and told her parents what they were saying back to her.  
  
It was customary for them to also get a wreath for Edmund every year, since he was such a good neighbor. Edmund's taste was less flamboyant, preferring a simple, old-fashioned sort of wreath. As they looked at wreaths for Edmund, Sören once again thought of how bare Nicholas's flat looked, and it made him sad.  
  
"We should get a wreath for Nicholas, too," Sören said.  
  
"Aw, that's so sweet of you. You're a love." Anthony kissed Sören's cheek.  
  
Sören didn't know what Nicholas would like, but he decided to also err on the side of something simple - a different design than what Edmund was getting, but still more traditional and old-timey. Edmund's wreath had berries and wooden ornaments, and the one Sören picked out for Nicholas had cones and flowers.  
  
When they arrived back at the flat, Sören saw that the lights inside Nicholas's flat were on, meaning he was home and still awake.  
  
Sören felt a little nervous, rubbing his hands together as Anthony gingerly carried the wreath, their breath steaming the night air. Sören rapped on the door and waited. A few minutes later Nicholas opened it a crack, looking wary, then he opened the door wider when he saw who it was.  
  
"Good evening, Sören, Anthony, Rey," Nicholas said. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"We're fine," Sören said.  
  
"Would you like to come in for tea?" Nicholas noticed they were standing outside bundled up, and Anthony nodded enthusiastically.  
  
Nicholas had in fact gotten his belongings unpacked and rearranged, with the flat looking like it had been lived in for months or years rather than mere days. Sören saw that his assessment that Nicholas had not decorated for the holidays was correct, glancing around, and when Nicholas brought in the tea and took a seat, there was an awkward silence where Nicholas looked at the big wreath Anthony was holding.  
  
"So... what brings you here?" Nicholas asked.  
  
"Jæja..." Sören took a deep breath, feeling even more anxious now. "We were decorating our place tonight, and every year we go out and get a new wreath for the door and we get one for our neighbor, Edmund. And I asked my partners if it was OK if we got a wreath for you too, because... well, neighbors."  
  
"Here it is." Anthony stood up and brought the wreath over to Nicholas. "I hope you like it."  
  
"That was very thoughtful of you," Nicholas said, his voice crisp and as chilly as the air outside, "but you needn't have bothered. I don't decorate for the holidays."  
  
"What?" Sören was completely taken aback. "What do you mean, you don't decorate for the holidays? Why don't you decorate for the holidays?"  
  
"Jesus Christ, Sören, you can't just ask people why they don't decorate for the holidays," Anthony muttered. Then he gave a tight, polite little smile and said, "We're sorry, we assumed you would, but of course we shouldn't have assumed that. Are you Jewish? Muslim? An atheist?"  
  
"No, no, and no," Nicholas said. "Just a man who tries to forget this time of year exists."  
  
"Oh." Sören swallowed hard. "Well... we didn't mean to offend. I..." Sören wondered why, and felt even sadder for Nicholas than he did before. And then it slipped out before he could stop himself. "Was just trying to share the Christmas spirit with Saint Nick and all, ha ha."  
  
Sören was trying to be lighthearted to defuse the tension, but he could tell immediately from the wounded look on Nicholas's face that he'd hit a nerve. And then Rey made it worse, asking, “Are you the Grinch?”

“ _No_.” Nicholas exhaled sharply. "I think that after you finish your tea you had better go," Nicholas said gruffly.  
  
Sören gulped his down, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, feeling mortified, the embarrassment made even worse because Nicholas was so fucking _attractive_. Sören's heart was racing as he couldn't stop staring at the older man. _I made an ass out of myself in front of the hot Alpha guy, great job._ Of course, Sören had Anthony. But that didn't mean he couldn't look, and Nicholas was so very lookable...  
  
Anthony, Sören and Rey left as quickly as they could, taking the wreath with them. "Thank you for the tea," Anthony said, all cool courtroom courtesy as he led Sören out of the flat into the winter night.  
  
"I fucked up," Sören said as they came up the stairs to their own flat.  
  
"No," Anthony said. "You meant well. _He_ fucked up. It's one thing to not celebrate Christmas or whatever his excuse is for not decorating, but he was a bit... brusque. I was half-expecting him to say bah humbug."  
  
"I don't know if he was that bad," Sören said, "but it was definitely super awkward." Sören scowled at the wreath. "Don't know what we're gonna do with this thing now."  
  
"We can put it on the back of the front door, it'll look nice with the living room," Anthony said. "Or we can give it to Edmund when he comes.”

“Can you read me a bedtime story?” Rey asked.

" _If You Give A Mouse A Cookie?_ " Anthony said, taking off his shoes and outerwear.

Rey nodded.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Edmund Billingsley came upstairs at exactly nine-thirty. They had hot chocolate ready, and Edmund came with a container of egg nog, which immediately made Sören feel a little better; he loved egg nog. Edmund's mild, vanilla-like Beta scent was also soothing.  
  
"Here's your wreath," Anthony said, presenting it to him.  
  
"Thank you, Anthony." Edmund smiled. "You three always get me such a nice wreath every year."  
  
They had turned off the fiber optic tree for a few minutes prior to Edmund's arrival, so Edmund could watch it turn on. Edmund just looked at the tree in silence for a moment, with something akin to reverence on his face.  
  
"I do love that tree," Edmund said.  
  
"We love it too," Sören said.  
  
Anthony nodded. "I was a little skeptical about a fake tree but I have to admit, it's really pretty. Feels quite festive."  
  
"Yes. It's beautiful." Edmund smiled.  
  
Anthony cocked his head to one side. "You don't think it's too modern?"  
  
"On the contrary. The ancient Pagans of Europe celebrated the winter solstice, a festival of light. Your tree seems very apt for the theme of the season."  
  
"Are you some kind of Druid?" Sören had always wondered, what with the little stone circle in Edmund's portion of the shared garden space.  
  
"Not quite," Edmund said, "though I suppose you could call them fellow travelers."  
  
Sören nodded.  
  
"One of these years you might consider taking Rey to Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the winter solstice," Edmund said. "It's quite an experience."  
  
"I thought you were a retired maths teacher, not history," Anthony said.  
  
"Am I only allowed to be interested in mathematics? I can't also be interested in ancient history?" Edmund gave him a look of mock offense before sipping his egg nog with a smile.  
  
"Point taken," Anthony said. "You just always seem so... informed about the subject."  
  
"That's because he was there," Sören joked, and immediately wished that hadn't come out of his mouth, another lack of brain-to-mouth filter.  
  
But Edmund took it well, blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he raised his hand and said, "You got me."  
  
Sören and Anthony laughed. Then Sören immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be hurtful about your age -"  
  
"It's quite all right, Sören. I've known you three for five years now, I'm used to you by now." Edmund smirked. "Enough so that I'll say it for you: 'Hi Used To You By Now.'"  
  
Sören laughed harder, relieved he wasn't offended. "Well, at least that's one neighbor who doesn't hate me."  
  
"Oh?" Edmund's eyebrows went up.  
  
Sören nodded, frowning, feeling uncomfortable all over again as his mind replayed the scene in Nicholas's flat. "Nicholas, er. We got him a wreath too and he, ah."  
  
"He would have rather we didn't," Anthony said.  
  
"Apparently Christmas is a touchy subject for him. I don't know why." Sören shrugged and then he sighed. "I just know that we've gotten off on the wrong foot and it's going to make living next door to him awkward -"  
  
"Maybe not," Edmund said. "I know it might seem hopeless now but sometimes people are more reactive when they're tired in the evening, and I'm sure if you explain to him it was meant out of good will -"  
  
"We already. Ah. Kinda explained." Sören rubbed his beard. "Badly." He remembered Nicholas bristling at the _"share the Christmas spirit with Saint Nick"_ comment.  
  
"Again, it might be better tomorrow, during daylight hours," Edmund said. "I wouldn't stress too much about it. I think Nicholas realizes as much as you do that it's in everyone's best interests to get on well with your neighbors. He's quite different from the other tenants who have lived here. Older. Quieter. Seemingly more mature."  
  
"I hope you're right," Sören said. "I really don't want problems with him. Especially not during Christmas."  
  
"I'm sure he'll come to understand you were just trying to be friendly."  
  
Sören needed levity. "Hi Sure He'll Come To Understand You Were Just Trying To Be Friendly."  
  
" _Sören no_ ," Anthony scolded.  
  
  
_  
  
  
The next day, Thursday, Sören and Rey were outside waiting for Anthony again, watching the pink, orange and blue fire of the winter sunset. But before Anthony's Audi Q7 rolled in, another vehicle came first, a sleek black Jaguar that Sören had seen parked outside Nicholas's flat, and sure enough, Nicholas was behind the wheel.  
  
 _Oh shit._ Sören swallowed hard.  
  
Rey began to wave and yell. "HI SAINT NICK! HI! HI! HI SAINT NICK! I'M BEING GOOD!" It was as if she had forgotten about the Grinch comment.  
  
"Rey..." Sören put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, shhhh."  
  
"I'm saying hi to Santa," Rey said, giving her father a stern look that was comical on her small face.  
  
"Hi Saying Hi To Santa."  
  
"You're a butt," Rey said, and Sören couldn't help laughing at that - she'd learned it from her momdad - and Sören was still laughing as Nicholas got out of the car.  
  
"Good evening," Nicholas said, all serious formality as he went from his car to his door.  
  
"Er, hi." Sören swallowed hard, heart racing, trying not to ogle the handsome man looking dapper in his trench and fedora. The delicious-smelling Alpha. "Um, about last night. I'm sorry -"  
  
Nicholas paused, nodded, and then he turned around and stepped down. "I'm sorry too." Nicholas walked towards Sören. "I know you were trying to do something kind for your new neighbor and it was unfair of me to..." Nicholas sighed. "Be so rude. I shan't make excuses for myself -"  
  
"But nonetheless, something happened." Sören cocked his head to one side. "I know it's not any of my business, but..."  
  
"I suppose I should tell someone, sometime." Nicholas looked at Rey and then at Sören. "You're waiting for your partner to get home, yes?"  
  
"He should be home soon. Do you want to come up with us and have tea once he's here?"  
  
"Yes, thank you."  
  
Thankfully, it didn't take much longer for Anthony to arrive. Anthony didn't bother to disguise the surprise on his face when he got out of the Audi. "What's going on?"  
  
"PAPA!" Rey ran to him and Anthony scooped her up, giving her a little kiss with a wary look on his face.  
  
"Nicholas is going to have tea with us," Sören said.  
  
"And apologize for last night," Nicholas said, "and explain myself."  
  
"OK." Anthony nodded and gestured for them to follow.  
  
Seumas went right to him and Nicholas spent a moment fussing over the cat, which Sören found irresistibly charming, his stomach fluttering - _oh god could we not react like that_ \- even as he still felt a twinge of anxiety over the coming potentially-awkward conversation.  
  
They had Rey go play in her room, sensing this was something for grownup ears only, and Nicholas just got right to it. "I was a priest," Nicholas said.  
  
"Oh!" Anthony looked even more surprised. "What... denomination, if you don't mind me asking?"  
  
"Roman Catholic," Nicholas said. "My parents are from France. I was raised _very_ Catholic, I felt called from early childhood. To make a long story short, I resigned in 2010 because I could no longer in good conscience serve the Church when they were so steeped in abuse scandal. It horrified me that fellow priests and our superiors were doing such... vile... unspeakable things... to innocent children. I myself had struggled all my life with feeling like my own homosexuality was a sin, and I lived a chaste, celibate life consecrated to God. But my interest has only ever been in other _men_ , as in, consenting adults. And it is something the Church would condemn me for, something God himself would condemn me for, when the Church perpetuates such evil and _he_ allows it. So I left the Church four years ago, I used what I had left of my inheritance to start a secular life... I opened up a restaurant this year. I still value Christ's teachings but I am not Christian anymore, I am not anything anymore. And Christmas has been a rather bitter reminder of something that was so central to my life for decades, going up in ash."  
  
Sören felt for him. He resisted the urge to put his tea down, go across the room and hug him.  
  
"If I'd have known, I wouldn't have suggested..." Sören blinked back tears.  
  
"Of course you couldn't have known. It's not like I wear a sign that says HELLO I AM A FORMER ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST," Nicholas said. "I do know you meant well, and..." Nicholas sighed. "Being kind, on Christmas... the spirit of Christmas... it hurts."  
  
"I'm sorry," Sören said softly.  
  
"I did some thinking while I was at work," Nicholas said, "and if you're still offering the wreath, I would like to take it. I don't know yet that I'll celebrate Christmas this year, even in a strictly secular sense, but I have to remind myself that there _are_ still good people in this world - you seem like good people - and this is the season of kindness. Even the ancient Pagans, before Christ, knew this was a time to celebrate family and the hearth and the strength of the sun. ' _In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer._ '"  
  
"That's... that's beautiful." Sören felt ready to cry again.  
  
"That's Camus," Nicholas said.  
  
"Well..." Sören cleared his throat. "Kindness is a sort of love, and I give you a quote from my namesake... _'To cheat oneself out of love is the most terrible deception; it is an eternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity.'_ "  
  
"Kierkegaard."  
  
"You recognized it right away."  
  
"Saying he is your namesake helped," Nicholas said with a wry smile, "but I was a very depressed, conflicted young man and I found a certain comfort in Kierkegaard's melancholy... and his faith."  
  
"I was also named for my great-grandfather," Sören said. "There's not so many Sörens in Iceland now. But my mamma, she read a lot, and she told me she had named me after my great-grandfather and a very famous philosopher. I've read some philosophy myself. Helped me put my head back together after..." Sören's voice trailed off, not wanting to get into the saga of how he'd almost ended his own life in 2004, ten years ago now, that felt like an entire lifetime away. Anthony knew what Sören was referring to, and put a hand on Sören's arm and squeezed, as if to say _I'm glad you're still here._  
  
Nicholas raised an eyebrow but didn't press it. "It's nice to see that the youth still cares about things like philosophy."  
  
Sören snorted. "I just turned thirty."  
  
"That is still 'the youth' to me," Nicholas said.  
  
Anthony got up, and Sören watched as he took the wreath off the inside front door. He brought it over to Nicholas with a smile.  
  
"Thank you," Nicholas said.  
  
"No, thank you," Anthony said. "We were worried we were going to have problems with you..."  
  
"I am sorry for that," Nicholas said. "Truly."  
  
And then Rey came out of her room, as if she'd been eavesdropping, and stood in the doorway. "Can I tell Saint Nick what I want for Christmas now?"  
  
"Oh god..." Sören facepalmed. "Just when we're trying to not get off on the wrong foot..."  
  
Nicholas chuckled. "It's better than her thinking I'm the Grinch. I'm sure she'd have that opinion eventually if I kept up my behavior from last night."  
  
"Well, it's sort of understandable." Once again, Sören felt for him... ached for him. And though he knew he couldn't force Christmas on anyone, and definitely couldn't force "the Christmas spirit" on someone who'd been burned by religion, he nonetheless was determined, now on a mission to cheer Nicholas up, give back somehow to someone who had given so much to others and seemed to have nothing to show for it.


	3. Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

Anthony couldn't help smiling as his car turned onto his street and he saw Rey and Sören waving to him from outside their flat, Rey calling out "PAPA! PAPA! HI PAPA! HI PAPA!"  
  
This time Anthony honked. It was Friday the twelfth, he was home for the weekend, he had one more week to go before his chambers would close for the holidays and he'd be home till the second week of January. Though he was fiercely dedicated to his job, nonetheless this week had dragged and the sight of his Omega mate and their child lifted his spirits.  
  
Anthony rushed out of the Audi Q7 and over to take Sören and Rey into his arms. "Hi." He kissed Rey's cheeks, and gave Sören a gentle, chaste kiss with their daughter watching. "Hi. Hi."  
  
"Hi, _elskan._ " Sören kissed the tip of Anthony's nose. "Missed you."  
  
"God, I missed both of you." Anthony squeezed them tighter.  
  
"Papa, look." Rey pointed at a large snowball on the ground.  
  
"It's finally sticking," Sören said - they'd had some flurries earlier that week but now they had a few inches of snow on the ground. "She wanted to start making a snowman while we waited for you."  
  
"Do we have to go inside right now?" Rey looked up at her fathers, pouting. "Can we build the snowman? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"  
  
As much as Anthony had been looking forward to having a hot cup of tea when he got home from a cold winter day, he had been missing his family even more and he couldn't deny his daughter her fun. And it had been quite some time since he'd built a snowman himself - he knew as he got to work on his hands and knees packing snow that it wasn't just for Rey, but the chance to play and be a kid again for a little while.  
  
Sören kissed the tip of his nose, and when Sören bit his lower lip Anthony's heart skipped a beat. That still got him every single time. He fought the urge to push Sören into the snow and kiss him breathless, and instead took joy in the sight of Sören rolling and packing snow along with them.  
  
They added more snow to the bottom of the snowman, so they could build him taller, with a sturdier base. As they began putting together a second snowball to go on top of the base, Nicholas's Jaguar started coming down the street and Rey leapt up and ran to the edge of the curb, her arms flailing as she called out, "SAINT NICK! HI SAINT NICK! HI SAINT NICK! COME SEE OUR SNOWMAN! COME SEE OUR SNOWMAN, SAINT NICK!"  
  
Anthony tried not to facepalm with his snow-cold glove. At some point they were going to have to sit Rey down and have a talk with her about how Nicholas wasn't Father Christmas, and he was glad Nicholas didn't seem to mind _too_ much.  
  
Nicholas chuckled when he got out of his car. "Good evening," he said.  
  
"See?" Rey started tugging on his sleeve, pointing. "That's our snowman."  
  
"Snowman in progress," Sören corrected. "He's not done yet. He won't be done yet for awhile."  
  
"We need to go faster," Rey said.  
  
Now it was Anthony's turn to laugh. "How very corporate of you."  
  
"What?" Rey gave him a confused look, and Anthony had to remind himself she was only four.  
  
Sören snickered. Then Rey looked at Nicholas. "Help us build our snowman!"  
  
"Er..." Nicholas glanced nervously at her parents, then at Rey.  
  
"I'm sorry," Anthony volunteered. "She's very forward. I know you must have things to do..."  
  
"Please?" Now Rey was pouting at him. "The snowman would be extra good with Father Christmas magic."  
  
 _Oh god, now she's done it._ Anthony made a wounded noise as he packed more snow onto the second snowball.  
  
But Nicholas just smiled indulgently. "If your parents don't mind me helping, I suppose I could."  
  
"We don't mind," Sören said, grinning.  
  
Anthony had to admit he didn't mind either, and he tried not to steal glances at Nicholas working along with them, looking dashing as always. His face flushed even though it was bitter cold and getting colder all the time, and he wasn't wearing a hat. He noticed Sören taking looks at Nicholas as well, and Anthony once again wondered if Sören also found him attractive. Wondered if Sören found Nicholas's Alpha scent attractive.  
  
Sören also seemed to notice Anthony noticing, and Sören paused and took off his knit cap and slammed it down on Anthony's head. "I produce more body heat than you do," Sören said. "You can wear this for now."  
  
Anthony felt ridiculous and gave Sören a look, who smiled innocently, then Anthony felt even more ridiculous when Nicholas chuckled at them.  
  
But the most ridiculous moment was to come. First Rey began singing a song from the _Frozen_ soundtrack - she had only just stopped obsessing over _Frozen_ a couple of months ago, and as soon as Rey started to sing Anthony and Sören exchanged glances to say _oh no, not again_.  
  
 _Do you wanna build a snowman?  
Come on, let's go and play!  
I never see you anymore  
Come out the door  
It's like you've gone away  
  
We used to be best buddies  
And now we're not  
I wish you would tell me why!  
  
Do you wanna build a snowman?  
It doesn't have to be a snowman..._  
  
"Is that from _Frozen_?" Nicholas asked.  
  
Sören nodded vehemently.  
  
"I haven't seen it," Nicholas said.  
  
Anthony let out an "oh no" just as Rey gasped and shrieked, "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN _FROZEN_? PAPA, MUMDAD, HE HAS TO WATCH _FROZEN_ WITH US!"  
  
"Oh lord," Sören said. Then he patted Rey and said, "Can we get through building the snowman first?"  
  
"Kay," Rey said.  
  
After the second snowball, Anthony and Nicholas began shaping the head, and Rey tapped Sören and said, "He needs arms."  
  
"Hmmm. Do you see any sticks anywhere?" Sören scratched his head.  
  
"He needs real arms, not sticks," Rey said.  
  
"Oh, so you want me to make him arms out of snow?" Sören raised an eyebrow.  
  
Rey nodded solemnly.  
  
Sören began sculpting an arm out of snow, and Anthony couldn't help noticing it had a crude phallic shape. After a moment Sören noticed it too and tried not to laugh, and failed. "Oh god," Sören choked.  
  
"That's... quite an interesting arm," Anthony said.  
  
"Yeah." Sören looked at the bottom snowball as if he were going to stick it there, then he looked at their innocent four-year-old daughter and thought better of it... and Sören stuck the unfortunately phallic-looking snow part on what was to become the face of the snowman. "There. He has a nose."  
  
Anthony thought he was going to die laughing. Now Nicholas was beetroot. He rolled his eyes and gave Sören a disapproving glance, but Anthony saw Nicholas shaking with silent laughter. "Oh dear," Nicholas sighed.  
  
"That's a weird nose, Mumdad," Rey said.  
  
"Some people have weird noses," Sören said.  
  
"Not like _that._ His nose is big and weird."  
  
"Well, he's a snowman," Sören said. "He's not human. Snowpeople have, uh, even more diversity in body shapes than humans do."  
  
"What's a diversity?" Rey asked.  
  
"When things are different," Sören said.  
  
"Then why not just say that it's different?"  
  
Sören shrugged. "It's fun to use a diversity of words."  
  
"I agree," Nicholas said. "It's good to utilize a plethora of diverse words."  
  
Rey gave him a filthy look. "What's a... a... plethora? Is it a kind of fish? Sounds like a shark."  
  
Sören snorted and Anthony glared; Sören stuck his tongue out. "Did you know Papa's a shark?" Rey asked; she'd overheard her parents' discussions referring to Anthony's epithet in the legal community, the Shark of Lincoln's Inn.  
  
"Is he?" Nicholas smirked. "I suppose there are worse things to be."  
  
"Honey, let's talk about something else," Anthony said, not wanting to get into talk of his reputation or talk of his job at all.  
  
"OK," Rey said. "You should watch _Frozen._ " Rey gave Nicholas a very serious look. "It will change your life."  
  
Anthony chuckled, amused. Sören lost it, doubling over. Sören patted her and said, "Rey, _krútt mitt_ , you're four."  
  
"So?"  
  
At last the snowman had arms that didn't look like penises, and the snowman's head was on. Rey cheered, jumping up and down. "Yayyy, a snowman!" She hugged Sören, then Anthony. "Thank you, Mumdad. Thank you, Papa." Then she looked up at Nicholas - while he wasn't completely a stranger, he was still unfamiliar enough that Rey knew not to hug him. But she put out her hand instead. "Thank you, Saint Nick."  
  
"You're welcome, dear. The pleasure was mine." Nicholas took her hand and shook it, and at last he rose to his feet, wincing a little; Anthony imagined he probably had a touch of arthritis, though he was otherwise in good shape. _Too good._ Heat once again rose in Anthony's cheeks, trying not to notice how attractive Nicholas was. How good he smelled. Trying not to remember how delicious Alpha-on-Alpha sex was, all teasing and rough conquest... trying not to think about what it would be like for Nicholas to heat partner Sören.  
  
Anthony and Sören helped each other up, and now Sören, too, was shaking Nicholas's hand. "Thank you," Sören said. "You just made a little girl very happy."  
  
"And we're sorry," Anthony said, glancing at Rey skipping around the snowman, and then back at Nicholas. "She's... a lot, I know." Anthony loved his daughter and they didn't want to break her spirit, but he sometimes worried how she would fare when she got to school.  
  
"You needn't apologize," Nicholas said. "I... enjoyed myself." Now Nicholas's cheeks were pink. "I haven't built a snowman since I was a child. It felt good to... let loose a little, I suppose."  
  
"Yes." Sören nodded vehemently. "I recommend it. You should do it more often." Sören grinned. "The snowman could use some friends."  
  
" _Sören._ " Anthony laughed.  
  
"I didn't mean right now," Sören assured him. Sören turned back to Nicholas. "Would you like to come have tea with us?"  
  
Anthony offered one better, feeling like it would be good to be on friendly terms with a neighbor, and of course that had nothing whatsoever to do with wanting to look at Nicholas some more. "You could stay for dinner, perhaps?"  
  
"Another time," Nicholas said, nodding. "I have some items that need to be cooked tonight..."  
  
"Oh. O-OK." Sören looked a bit disappointed.  
  
And Nicholas looked a little wistful. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." And he waved to Rey, who waved back at him. "And you yourself, dear."  
  
"Bye Saint Nick! Night!" Rey waved.  
  
Just before Nicholas could walk through his door, Rey called out, "What's a plethora?"  
  
Nicholas paused and laughed. "It's a multitude."  
  
"What's a multitude?"  
  
"A lot."  
  
"Just like you," Anthony said, booping her nose.  
  
"I'm _the_ alot," Rey corrected him.  
  
"I care about this alot," Sören said, scooping her up to take her inside.  
  
 _I like him a lot,_ Anthony thought, watching Nicholas go through the door, one last small wave before he closed it.


	4. Loaves and Fishes

Sören was still not a morning person, but he'd learned to tolerate getting up in the morning because of Rey, and had learned to tolerate Rey waking him up on the weekends when he'd normally sleep in. This Sunday morning, the fourteenth, Rey was up before they were, climbing on the bed and bouncing.  
  
"It's snowing!" Rey announced. "It's snowing!"  
  
Anthony squinted at the clock and then at their daughter. He rubbed his face and scowled just before Seumas hopped on Anthony's side of the bed and proceeded to walk on Anthony's sternum. Sören tried not to laugh.  
  
"Can we go sledding?" Rey asked.  
  
"Can we wake up a little first?" Sören mumbled. "And we should have breakfast."  
  
"OK." Rey leaned across the bed to pet Seumas, who was now settling on Anthony's chest, kneading and purring loudly. Sören reached up to tweak Rey's nose and she leaned in to let Sören kiss her brow.  
  
After giving Seumas some pets, Rey was off down the hall, and Anthony and Sören shook their heads, chuckling. Sören sat up, making undead noises. "Braaaaaaiiiiiinnnnns."  
  
"I feel that," Anthony said. "I think she siphoned off both of ours."  
  
"Why the hell is she up so early, anyway?" Sören asked.  
  
"The cat," Anthony said, giving Seumas a look. Seumas headbutted his face and Anthony chuckled, petting the cat indulgently with an affectionate eyeroll. "Pretty sure the cat woke her up, and she saw it was snowing and decided she needed to inform us."  
  
"Well..." Sören yawned and stretched and got out of bed. "I'll go put on tea and start breakfast."  
  
A few minutes later Sören and Anthony had attended to their morning bathroom business and stepped out. Rey was still in her pajamas, watching the snow fall out the living room window with a wistful look on her face. Sören came over and put an arm around his daughter.  
  
"Mumdad, can I go outside while breakfast is cooking?" Rey's eyes were wide as she looked up at him.  
  
 _It's like she's never seen snow before._ But last winter had been mild, and the two winters of her life before it, Rey wouldn't remember much. This was the first real snowy winter Rey had known, and Sören imagined it must be magical to her, the same way snow was magical to him when he was that age growing up in Akureyri. And even though the practical, responsible adult side of Sören wanted to tell her to wait, and not say yes to every whim she had, the side of Sören that remembered that magic and wonder of wintertime in his childhood couldn't refuse.  
  
"For a few minutes," Sören said. And then, even though he was still barely awake and wanted nothing more than to crawl back in his nice warm bed and sleep for a few more hours, he mumbled, "I'll put my coat and stuff on and join you."  
  
Sören couldn't believe he was doing this as he went downstairs and outside with his daughter, the two of them still in pajamas but bundled up over them. Sören almost tripped, and the snowbank softened his fall. On impulse, Sören rolled onto his back, spread out his arms and legs, and began moving them back and forth.  
  
"Whatcha making, Mumdad?"  
  
"A snow angel," Sören said.  
  
"Whee!" Rey threw herself down in the snow next to him and proceeded to do the same. When they got up they saw the two "angel with wings" prints in the snow, one smaller, one larger.  
  
Nicholas came outside, and Sören could see his white chef's outfit underneath his trenchcoat. Sören waved. "You're working today?" Sören asked, feeling like an idiot for asking such an obvious question, but then, Nicholas was so handsome it made him feel giddy and stupid.  
  
"The restaurant is open seven days. I usually take Saturdays and Mondays off and let the sous-chef handle things." Nicholas paused a moment, looking thoughtful before he stepped out into the snow. "Sundays are a bit different, however."  
  
"How so?"  
  
Nicholas bowed his head a little. "Even though I am no longer a priest, since I opened the restaurant back in September I have made it a custom to serve free meals - with a limited menu - on Sunday. No questions asked, so that way those in need don't have to be subject to providing proof, which can be humiliating."  
  
Sören's heart skipped a beat. He already liked Nicholas Decaux, but something about this just made him like Nicholas even more. "That's beautiful," Sören said softly, feeling a tight ache in his chest. "You have a good heart."  
  
"I'm just trying to do the right thing," Nicholas said. "Anyway, I'm off -"  
  
"Wait." Sören put up his hand. "So... with serving free meals, do you take a bit of a hit with profits?"  
  
"I'm not in debt, if that's what you're asking," Nicholas said. "Again, there's a limited menu on that day and that helps to keep costs down. I also have limited staff on that day."  
  
There it was. Not thinking, just feeling, Sören said, "You want a pair of extra hands? Maybe two pairs? I, ah. Have to ask Anthony..." Sören glanced up at the window. "But I'll explain it's for a good cause."  
  
"I don't want you to feel obligated," Nicholas said, looking a little sheepish.  
  
Sören shrugged. "It's not something I'd offer every week, but... Christmas coming up, and all..."  
  
"I'll wait," Nicholas said.  
  
Sören took Rey upstairs. When Rey took off her coat and hat, Sören said to Anthony, "I have a question for you."  
  
"Hm?" Anthony's eyebrows went up.  
  
"Nicholas told me that his restaurant offers free meals, limited menu, on Sunday, no questions asked, so those in need can come in and have something good. He has limited staff on those days. I told him I'm willing to help out in the kitchen today. Do you guys want to join me? We could probably find something for Rey to do."  
  
Anthony nodded. "Sure, I don't mind.” Then he smiled. “That's very kind of him. It's... heartwarming to see good people like that in the world."  
  
"Then we can go sledding," Sören said, tousling Rey's hair. He turned to Rey and explained, "If we wait a bit to go sledding there might be more snow."  
  
"OK!" Rey nodded.  
  
Sören breathed a small sigh of relief. He didn't think Anthony would be offended, but he knew he was always taking a chance when he acted on impulse. Sören gave the thumbs up to Nicholas out the window, and then Anthony shoved him down at the table. "Breakfast first," Anthony scolded.  
  
  
_  
  
  
It was a short drive to Fête de la Sirène, a chateau within walking distance of the sea that had been repurposed into a restaurant. The restaurant had tables outside for al fresco dining, and a garden. Sören smiled as he saw the mermaid fountain near the restaurant entrance; they were coming in the back as kitchen staff.  
  
Rey seemed as entranced by the kitchen as she was by the snow that morning. "Wow! It's Santa's workshop!"  
  
"Oh _god_ ," Anthony said, facepalming.  
  
Nicholas just chuckled. "Not quite, dear."  
  
"Saint Nick, are these elves?" Rey pointed at the kitchen staff. Then she looked up at her parents. "Are you elves?" Her mouth made an "o", eyes wide as she considered the possibility.  
  
"Oh god. Rey, honey..." Anthony stooped down. "That isn't Father Christmas. You're going to have to call him something other than Saint Nick, because he's not."  
  
"Like what?" Rey asked.  
  
"Uncle Nick," Sören volunteered.  
  
Rey looked confused. "Is he your brother?"  
  
 _If he was, that would be incest._ Sören's face was on fire, desperately not wanting to have that reaction, not wanting to find Nicholas _so_ attractive. Not wanting to find that Alpha smell so delicious. Sören swallowed hard, and before he could say anything, Anthony suggested, "Maybe he could be Grandpa."  
  
"Uncle Grandpa," Rey said.  
  
Anthony looked like he wanted to crawl under the tiles and hide. Sören was right there with him. But then Rey said, "Hi, Uncle Grandpa."  
  
"Hello, dear." Nicholas gave the adults a look, as if to say _this is worse than being called Saint Nick,_ but he kept his tone soft with the child, which Sören was grateful for. Children all said weird things, and he had certainly been no exception as a youngster.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Bringing Rey along meant that two pairs of adult hands volunteering in the restaurant's kitchen was effectively one pair at a time, as Anthony and Sören rotated turns with keeping her occupied and out of trouble. Still, even with one more on the kitchen staff, and only able to do basic work - not trained specialist activities - things still got done, and by the time Nicholas was ready to close, he took the two gentlemen aside and thanked them.  
  
"Today was a lot less stressful than it could have been," Nicholas said. "Having the extra workers helped a lot."  
  
"We're glad," Anthony said. "And it was kind of fun. I mean, we can't do it every weekend -"  
  
"Nor would I expect you to," Nicholas said. "It was still appreciated this weekend."  
  
"What you do is appreciated," Sören said, watching the last of the patrons clear out. "Very generous. That could have been me out there, I was a starving artist when I first came here. The world needs more people like you." _Then I'd explode from the sexy._ Sören wanted to kick himself for thinking like that.  
  
Nicholas gave a small smile that also seemed a bit sad. "As I said, I still value Christ's teachings even though I no longer adhere to any religion and no longer believe in sin or heaven and hell. When I was a priest, I worked with the poor, the homeless. It is still something I feel strongly about."  
  
Sören wanted to hug him, but held back.  
  
Then Nicholas looked at the clock, and back at the three of them. "As my gratitude for your help today, I would be honored if you would be my guests for dinner."  
  
"That's very nice of you," Anthony said, "but you've already been cooking all day. We'd be happy to take you out -"  
  
Nicholas waved his hand dismissively. "I enjoy cooking, or I wouldn't cook for a living."  
  
Anthony and Sören looked at each other, and then Anthony nodded and Sören did as well. "OK," Anthony said.  
  
"We did say we would take Rey out sledding after this was all done," Sören said.  
  
"That's fine," Nicholas said. "It will take me at least a couple of hours to get everything together, so you've got time."  
  
"You don't want to come sledding with us?" Rey asked.  
  
Nicholas chuckled. "I'm a bit too old for that, my dear."  
  
"You're never too old," Sören said; he had the mental image of sledding someday with his future grandchildren. "If you want to come along sledding, we'd be cool with that."  
  
"Perhaps another time," Nicholas said.  
  
"OK." Sören wasn't going to let it go; he intended to cash in on that offer, if only because the thought of Nicholas sledding tickled him. "Well, sledding and dinner it is."  
  
Over the summer when the cost of winter sports gear was cheaper, they had bought a "family size" sled that could fit adults, and a couple of inner tubes. Rey had heard about the joys of sledding and inner tubing with her parents, and now she got to try it. From the restaurant, Anthony drove them to a park with good hills, and as the sun set they took turns using the sled and the inner tubes down the hill over and over again. Sören took a few selfies and videos of himself and Rey going down in the sled and the tube together, wanting to preserve the memory. But he knew that he would never forget her laughter, the way she shouted "Again!" jumping up and down, the squealing and the big smile on her face each time, the rush that felt like flying.  
  
They stopped at home to feed the cat and give him some attention before going back out to Nicholas's place. Something smelled delicious as soon as they walked in.  
  
"Beef Wellington," Nicholas said.  
  
Sören was impressed; Nicholas was pulling out all the stops for them. Nicholas served wine to the grownups and a faux cocktail of ginger ale and cranberry juice for Rey. Sören sat on a leather couch next to Anthony, admiring the rocking chair Nicholas sat in, the armchair where Rey's legs didn't touch the floor, the hardwood floors with shaggy blue throw rugs and the simple, Scandinavian-design coffee table, bookshelves stuffed with old books, the record player set on a tall stool. The fireplace was going with the lovely smell of woodsmoke, a grandfather clock ticked, and Sören felt almost as cozy and at home as he did in their own flat.  
  
"It's rare to find a man your age who loves to cook," Anthony said when Nicholas sat down, and realized the wording of _find a man_ sounded like they were dating. "How did you get into the restaurant business, if you don't mind me asking?"  
  
"I learned to cook from my mother," Nicholas said. "It was unusual at the time, but she thought it would be a useful life skill and perhaps impress the ladies." Nicholas gave a wry smile. "When I became a priest, as you know I worked at a mission with the homeless. I thought they deserved something better than standard soup kitchen gruel, so I made it a point to cook good food for them. It's something I'm passionate about, something of an art form, I suppose."  
  
"I like that," Sören said, nodding. "I'm an artist."  
  
"Ah, I did wonder what you did for a living," Nicholas said.  
  
"I paint and sculpt," Sören said, smiling proudly. "And it means I can be home with Rey."  
  
"It's nice to see people so devoted to their child," Nicholas said. "Part of why I wanted to learn to cook from my mother was because it was one of the only times she was nice to me."  
  
Sören's face fell. Again he felt that urge to take Nicholas into his arms and hold him tight.  
  
"I'm sorry," Nicholas said. "I shouldn't have said that -"  
  
"No, it's OK." Sören swallowed hard. "My own childhood was rough. I was raised by my aunt and uncle, who were alcoholics."  
  
Nicholas nodded. "I didn't have it as bad as some, but I didn't get a lot of love and nurturing. I turned to religion, the concept of God as a Father."  
  
"So that feeling of being let down and betrayed by your religion must be even harder than it would be." Sören felt ready to cry.  
  
"Indeed. And it was very difficult, after decades of service, to leave and pursue a secular life. But... I am starting to feel like I'm finding my way. Having... friends... helps." Nicholas raised his glass.  
  
"We could use friends too," Sören admitted. "The two of us are very wrapped up in each other and I suppose Anthony's parents, too. There's Edmund, but..."  
  
"Our daughter could use an uncle." Anthony chuckled.  
  
"Uncle Grandpa," Rey corrected.  
  
Nicholas smiled at her, then narrowed his eyes at the adults. Sören smiled innocently, and Nicholas smiled in return, letting them know he wasn't that annoyed. Then Nicholas went on, "I must say that this is different than the sort of friends I thought I'd have, when I left the priesthood."  
  
"Sinners," Sören teased.  
  
Nicholas chuckled. "I told you I don't judge consenting adults. It took me a long time to let go of the idea that loving someone of the same gender is a sin, and I accept myself and others now. It happens in nature, after all. You seem a lot healthier than many of the more 'traditional' families I've encountered."  
  
"We try," Sören said; Anthony hugged him.  
  
"I am curious how it started," Nicholas said. “Why you left Iceland, and all.”

“Well...” Sören and Anthony looked at each other, and Sören took a deep breath. “When I was living in Reykjavik, Anthony was traveling Europe, and in December, just before the holidays, we met at a pub. We hit it off right away and I offered to show him around and then I...” Sören bit his lower lip. “Went into heat.”

“I see,” Nicholas said.

Sören's cock stirred at the memory. It was the best sex he'd ever had to that point – and it kept getting better as the years went on, as he and Anthony learned each other's bodies. But that first time was beautiful, both with the way Anthony built a nest for Sören and tenderly cared for him, and the way they'd pleasured each other for hours and hours over the three days. Even though they'd just met, it was incredibly intimate... making love, not just fucking. It had felt fated, like they were made for each other, and meant to find each other.

“He claimed me,” Sören said, a frisson going down his spine as he remembered the knot inside him, throbbing... the bite on his neck... “and... we decided I should move out to London and see if it works. That was back in 2007, I was twenty-three, and Anthony was twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight.”

“I was still getting off the ground in my law career so we had a small flat together in London,” Anthony said. “But then in 2009 we looked for a better flat after...” He put a hand on Sören's belly.

“And I wanted to live by the sea, because that's where I've always lived, first in Akureyri, then Reykjavik,” Sören said. “It's good for the soul. Thought it would be good for our child.”  
  
"We haven't regretted it, even though I have a bit of a drive to and from work every day," Anthony said. "Brighton is special."  
  
"It is," Nicholas said. "It's why I came here. Sort of magical, even, you could say."  
  
"And our paths crossed." Sören's eyes met Nicholas's. "You may not believe anymore, and I don't really know what I believe - I'm a Lutheran on paper but not observant - but it feels almost like we met for a reason." He felt self-conscious as soon as the words were out of his mouth - the wine had loosened him - but nonetheless, it felt true, a shiver going down his spine. It felt almost like the way he and Anthony had felt fated to meet each other.  
  
And he knew why it felt true. He felt a similar sort of spark with Nicholas that he had with Anthony when they met. That terrified him - he didn't know how it would affect his relationships if he even mentioned it, let alone pursued it. But it was there and he couldn't deny it.  
  
"Perhaps," Nicholas said.  
  
"That reason is so he can see _Frozen_ ," Rey informed them.  
  
Sören facepalmed. "Dammit, Rey." He shook with laughter.  
  
"Rey? Let it go," Anthony teased.  
  
Rey began to sing, " _Let it go, let it go..._ "


	5. Under the Mistletoe

To return the favor of Nicholas having them over for dinner, Sören and Anthony invited Nicholas to have dinner with them on Tuesday the sixteenth. Sören and Anthony were both a bit intimidated cooking for a professional chef, but Nicholas praised the meal - smoked salmon with twice-baked potatoes and a side of asparagus. Sören had also made two batches of Icelandic Christmas cookies - _piparkökur_ , like gingersnaps, and _lakkrístoppar_ , a type of meringue cookie with licorice and chocolate... and Nicholas raved about those when he tried them.  
  
"Sören, these biscuits are _wonderful_ ," Nicholas said, after sampling a few. He patted his stomach, chuckling. "It's tempting to eat the entire plate, and I shan't do that. I'm trying to keep in shape."  
  
Anthony felt heat rise in his cheeks, and he noticed Sören wrinkle his nose and bite his lower lip - that tell that Sören had definitely noticed Nicholas's physique.  
  
"You try to stay active, já?" Sören nibbled on a cookie.  
  
Nicholas nodded. "I go to the gym a few times a month - I've been out of the habit this month because things are so busy with the restaurant. I also walk every day, and I'm part of a fencing club."  
  
Anthony had seen a few fencing matches in his lifetime - his cousin Alistair, who he hated, was an Olympic sport fencer - but the thought of Nicholas fencing wasn't a sore spot. It was, in fact, rather the opposite of one.  
  
The room was starting to smell like woodsmoke and a floral spice, and there was no fire going, nor any scented candles or incense. It was a smell Anthony was very familiar with - Sören's natural Omega scent, which got stronger when he was aroused.  
  
Anthony reached for one of the _lakkrístoppar_ \- his favorite - and nibbled, thinking. This was the first time he'd seen Sören get aroused in the presence of another Alpha. And this was the first time since he'd been with Sören where the presence of another Alpha hadn't put him on the defensive. A few times, over the years they'd been together, there had been a few attempted challengers, most notably when Rey was at her grandparents' so they could have a "grownups" night and go to a pub for a few drinks, and some lout named Justin Roberts, an Alpha and an up-and-coming football star, had gotten handsy with Sören and wouldn't take no for an answer. Anthony had broken Justin's nose, and had managed to evade criminal charges with witnesses affirming he'd acted to defend his mate. Justin Roberts wasn't so pretty with a broken nose; Anthony saw on TV sometime later that Justin had cosmetic surgery and it had botched his nose even worse. Anthony thought the footballer had gotten off easy compared to what he wanted to do. But usually just giving a competing Alpha a look was warning enough.  
  
Now here was Nicholas, whose scent was also a bit stronger, and his cheeks were flushed pink, his dark eyes twinkling, crinkled at the corners. Anthony found Nicholas's scent arousing rather than offensive. He hadn't been turned on by another Alpha like this since Mikael... himself a silver fox.  
  
Usually a batch like the one Sören made would last for a few days divided among the two of them and Rey, but with Nicholas it was going faster, and faster still when Sören began packing Nicholas some cookies to take home.  
  
"Sören, I have a question for you," Nicholas said.  
  
Anthony braced himself, wondering if Nicholas was going to proposition him. He hoped not - it was etiquette to ask the Omega's mate, but Nicholas didn't seem that ill-mannered. Sören's eyebrows went up and he waited.  
  
"Would you mind giving me the recipe?" Nicholas leaned back in his chair. "I'd like to bake these as the occasional treat for the free meals -"  
  
"Oh, sure!" Sören laughed and patted his shoulder. "I can do one better, you can help me make another batch and see it hands-on."  
  
"I'd like that. I was going to offer to make you another batch, anyway, since I've eaten quite a few of these."  
  
Sören looked at Anthony, who nodded. "We're flexible," Anthony said, "whenever you've got time." Then Anthony's mind immediately went in the gutter at the words _we're flexible_ , thinking about all the positions he'd taken Sören in. Thinking about what it would be like to share Sören with Nicholas in different positions.  
  
Anthony couldn't believe he was thinking like that.  
  
"How does Thursday evening work?" Nicholas asked. "I can bring ingredients from the store if you let me know what you need."  
  
"That works for us." Sören's face lit up, and Anthony couldn't help smiling too, happy to see his mate that happy.  
  
After dinner Sören and Nicholas played a game of chess with the finely carved wooden set Anthony had received as part of his inheritance from his late maternal grandfather. Chess was popular in Iceland - something to pass the long winter nights - and Anthony listened to them talk about it as he and Rey played with Legos. That led to Sören talking more about Icelandic culture, and Nicholas mentioning he'd read the Eddas and Sagas, which Sören was impressed with. Anthony was impressed with that too; he liked people who read things.  
  
He was starting to like Nicholas a lot. Too much, really.  
  
Every now and again Anthony stole glances at them and noticed the pink in Nicholas's cheeks, the way his dark eyes sparkled, the tenderness on his face as he and Sören talked. The room was starting to smell not just like Sören's own Omega scent, but now there was a touch of cedar and musk... Nicholas's Alpha scent. More than once, Anthony wondered if Nicholas would lean over the chessboard and kiss Sören, but he did not.  
  
Even though it was getting to be a bit past Rey's usual bedtime, Anthony let her stay up until Sören and Nicholas were finished with their chess game. Once it was finished, Rey came over to see who won - Nicholas. She clapped and did a little dance. Then she admired the chess pieces, picking up Nicholas's king and studying it. "I wanna play someday too," Rey said.  
  
"I'll teach you one of these days," Sören said, tousling Rey's hair.  
  
"It's good to see someone so young with an interest in the game," Nicholas said. He frowns. "As you know, it seems to be a dying art."  
  
"Not if I can help it. She's a smart kid, too. She can already read and write and do basic math, and she's been learning to play the piano."  
  
Rey inherited Anthony's musical talent - Anthony had a keyboard that he fiddled with sometimes and Rey had taught herself how to play by ear, just like he had when he was her age.  
  
"OK, squirt, time for bed," Anthony said.  
  
Rey raced off to start getting changed and doing her nightly routine of washing her face and brushing her teeth. As she did, Anthony made hot cocoa for the adults. When Rey was ready, Anthony carried her down the hall, with Sören and Nicholas following. "Do you want a story or a song?" Anthony asked.  
  
"I want a song," Rey said. "I want the song that gave me my name."  
  
After Sören and Anthony tucked her in, Sören sat at Rey's bedside and began singing in his husky, bluesy tenor:  
  
 _Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night  
And wouldn't you love to love her?  
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight  
And who will be her lover?  
All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind  
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?  
Will you ever win?  
  
She is like a cat in the dark  
And then she is the darkness  
She rules her life like a fine skylark  
And when the sky is starless  
All your life you've never seen a woman taken by the wind  
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?  
Will you ever win?  
Will you ever win?_  
  
Rey fell asleep before the song was over, and then they walked back down with Nicholas to the living room. Nicholas glanced at the clock and gave them an apologetic look. "I should be getting to bed myself," he said.  
  
"It was good having you," Anthony said, and then he noticed Nicholas was a little choked up. He thought about hugging the older man, but he didn't know if that would be welcome or not.  
  
"Thank you for having me." Nicholas nodded. "You... have a very nice family. I feel... at home here."  
  
Sören opened his mouth to speak but before he could, Nicholas had another question. "I am curious, however - Fleetwood Mac was from my era, before your time."  
  
"The few years that I got to have with my mamma, I remember she was always playing music," Sören said. "The stuff she grew up with. Fleetwood Mac, ELO... Led Zeppelin." Sören smiled again, his eyes soft. "When I was pregnant with Rey I would sing to her and she always kicked me when 'Rhiannon' was on, so we decided once she was born that would be her name, but when she tried to say her name she could only say 'Rey'."  
  
"That's adorable." Nicholas gave a small smile that would be a big grin on anyone else.  
  
"We're glad you feel at home here," Anthony said, and held off the _it feels like you belong here with us_ because that was definitely getting in over their heads.  
  
After Nicholas went back to his flat, Anthony and Sören changed into their own pajamas and curled up together on the couch to wind down a bit before retiring to bed. Anthony put on a nature documentary - they liked watching those, usually found them relaxing. Tonight, there was one about elephants, and David Attenborough was talking about musth and how elderly male elephants in particular were the most driven to mate.  
  
Sören's scent got stronger again, and now Sören was rubbing Anthony's knee and nuzzling him. After a few sweet, soft kisses, they kissed deeply; Anthony's cock stiffened and Sören reached to palm the bulge in slow, lazy circles. Anthony groaned and began kissing Sören's neck, breathing in the delicious, intoxicating scent of his arousal. Anthony's fingers played over Sören's chest, a thumb straying to brush a pierced nipple through the fabric of Sören's T-shirt. He smiled into another deep, hungry kiss as he felt the nub harden to his touch.  
  
Sören's breath hitched, and the next thing Anthony knew, he was being pulled off the couch and dragged by the arm down the hall to their bedroom. He chuckled, delighted by Sören's enthusiasm. He stopped laughing when Sören slammed him against the wall of their bedroom and kissed him passionately, and moaned, cock throbbing. When the kiss broke they spent a moment catching their breath, looking into each other's eyes, and then Anthony gently closed the bedroom door and far less gently pushed Sören back towards the bed, kissing him all the way there, going out of his mind with lust at every moan.  
  
They undressed as quickly as possible - when Sören turned around and gave Anthony a teasing butt wiggle, Anthony saw how slick Sören was already. Anthony licked his lips and groaned as he watched slick pooling out of Sören's passage. "Fuck," he rasped.  
  
Anthony lay back and Sören climbed over him. Anthony patted his shoulders and Sören scooted up. First Anthony sucked at Sören's cock, stroking himself slowly as Sören gasped and moaned. When Sören's cock was dripping precum, he took Sören's cock out of his mouth and licked at it, long, deliberate swipes of his tongue, then lashing harder, faster. Sören's moans got louder, and he cried out when Anthony drew just the head into his mouth, kissing it. A few minutes later, Anthony pulled Sören's cock out of his mouth, grabbed Sören's hips, and Sören sat on his face, Anthony licking inside him, enjoying the lightly salty-sweet taste of his slick... savoring every moan and sigh. Anthony's tongue played slowly at first, teasing, then he tongue-fucked Sören, and when Sören started bucking, riding his tongue, gushing slick, Anthony stroked himself harder, almost ready to come.  
  
Sören scooted back down and impaled himself on Anthony's cock. When Anthony was all the way inside they joined hands and squeezed, sighing together. Sören threw back his head and gasped as he felt Anthony knot inside him.  
  
Sören leaned down so they could kiss, and back up, riding slowly. Anthony sat up to kiss and lick Sören's neck, lap and suckle Sören's nipples. When Sören started moaning louder, Anthony put his fingers in Sören's mouth. "Shhhh," he whispered, laughing. "Don't want to wake up Rey."  
  
Sören gave a little whine around Anthony's fingers, but then he sucked Anthony's fingers, and the sight of Sören's full lips wrapped around his fingers, the heat in those brown eyes, drove Anthony wild. He started thrusting harder, and harder still, until Sören was bouncing away on his cock, grabbing onto him for dear life, his scent strong and heady. Anthony growled, his knot growing, his cock ready to explode, _right there_ , but he held back, wanting his Omega's pleasure. It didn't take long for Sören to climax, seed shooting from his cock over Anthony's chest, slick pouring over Anthony's cock as his passage contracted. Anthony let out a shuddery gasp as he gave into his own release, and Sören sighed as he felt Anthony erupt inside him.  
  
"I love you," Anthony said, and drew Sören down into a kiss.  
  
He cradled Sören in his chest as their orgasm ebbed and gave way to the afterglow. They snuggled like that, holding and petting each other, as Anthony's knot continued to join them. Finally the knot went down... and Sören was randy again, climbing off Anthony and getting on all fours, sticking his ass out. Anthony's cock hardened right back up again at the sight of Sören's passage open, dripping his seed and Sören's slick. "I need it so bad," Sören panted.  
  
Anthony got on his knees behind Sören and grabbed a fistful of Sören's curls as he took his Omega. He showed no mercy, fucking hard. Sören grabbed the pillows, white-knuckled, burying his face in them and whimpering, howling, rocking his hips back at Anthony, matching his rhythm. Sören looked over his shoulder and panted, "yes, yes, _yes_ , fucking take it..."  
  
The filthy, obscene wet suctioning sound and the slap of their flesh threatened to bring Anthony off right away. He slowed down and leaned in, chest against Sören's back, tilting Sören's face so they could kiss, putting an arm around him. "I love you so much."  
  
"God, I love you." Sören bit his lip and gave a little whimper. "And I love your cock. I love that fucking knot..."  
  
Anthony groaned and kissed him again. He continued to thrust slowly, teasing them both, as he kissed and licked the back of Sören's neck and shoulder, knowing how sensitive he was there. When he couldn't hold back anymore, the urge to _mate_ too strong, his arm tightened around Sören and he bit Sören's neck as he sped up. " _Mine_ ," Anthony growled, licking Sören's neck where his teeth had just been, tasting the blood. "Mine."  
  
"Yes, yours. Yours, oh god, yours..."  
  
Then they couldn't even make words, could only moan - trying to keep it down for Rey's sake, but just barely, and there was that slapping and wet slurping again. Sören looked over his shoulder with fevered, desperate eyes, panting, gasping, and when Anthony claimed his mouth with another kiss, Sören made a high-pitched noise into the kiss, shaking with his release. A few thrusts later and Anthony was there too, coming, their hearts thundering together, sinking into the beating heart of the Earth, rising into the Sun. Anthony felt himself grinning like an idiot as the bliss melted him. There was nothing better than that feeling of all right with the world... sharing that feeling with his beloved. His Omega. His mate.  
  
His Omega, who had been obviously turned on by another Alpha... an Alpha who Anthony, too, was attracted to. When Anthony's knot receded they lay facing each other, and Anthony decided he was going to broach the subject. "That was amazing," he said honestly. " _You_ were amazing." He touched Sören's face, smiling at Sören's smile. "Really into it."  
  
Sören nodded.  
  
"Almost like you were in heat," Anthony said.  
  
Sören giggled. "Not yet."  
  
Omegas went into heat about three or four times a year. Some Omegas were like clockwork, while others were more irregular; Sören was one of those with an irregular cycle. There were heat suppressants that Omegas could take, and Sören had taken them in the past, but the side effects were such that Sören wasn't taking them anymore and they just used a birth control injector when Sören went into heat. Sören was due any time now, but had been due "any time" for the last couple of months. Sören was definitely randier than usual but didn't have other usual heat symptoms.  
  
Though it made Anthony wonder when Sören took Anthony's hand and put it on his stomach. "I've been thinking," Sören said, "I know we wanted to wait awhile before trying to give Rey a sibling, but..."  
  
"Oh, you..." Anthony blinked. "You think we should?"  
  
Sören nodded.  
  
Anthony wasn't opposed to the idea - he rather liked it. Sören's pregnancy with Rey had been fairly difficult, though, which was why he'd wanted to wait, and give Sören's body a chance to recover. Still, Rey was four and a half now, that was a good age difference with a sibling...  
  
And babies were the sort of thing an Omega would be thinking about when drawn to an Alpha. "We can," Anthony said, rubbing Sören's stomach in slow circles, nuzzling his beard. "But it's a major life change..."  
  
"Well, no shit." Sören laughed softly.  
  
"...and it seems like we have other certain changes we should discuss."  
  
Their eyes met and Sören stopped laughing.  
  
"Sören..." Anthony's other hand took Sören's chin. "I know you're attracted to Nicholas."  
  
Sören looked down. "Yeah." He exhaled sharply. "I'm sorry -"  
  
"No need to be sorry." Anthony smirked. "I am too."  
  
Sören started laughing. "Oh, good." Sören bit his lower lip. "I've been, ah... fantasizing about us having a threesome."  
  
Anthony kissed the tip of Sören's nose. "You're incorrigible, you know."  
  
" _Takk._ "  
  
Anthony laughed too. "Don't ever change."  
  
Then Anthony got a little more serious as he went on, "I'll admit that I never thought I'd be amenable to sharing you -"  
  
"Well, I didn't think we ever _would_ be sharing..."  
  
"But here we are." Anthony nodded. "And it's not really the sort of thing we can hide from Nicholas. I'm sure he smells you."  
  
"So you think we should tell him?"  
  
"I think it would be better if we did rather than trying to dance around it. At least this way if he says no and doesn't want to be around us, we won't have invested so much time in the friendship that it hurts more. But something tells me he's not going to say no." Anthony thought of the way Nicholas's cheeks flushed pink, the warmth and tenderness in his dark eyes as he interacted with Sören.  
  
"OK, so maybe when he's here on Thursday? I just, you know, don't want to be like, 'Hey, let's make cookies, then we can fuck?'"  
  
Anthony snickered. He skritched Sören's beard like a cat; then Anthony started purring himself, something Alphas did, and snuggled into Sören's shoulder. "No, let's find... a classier way of putting it. I'm sure the opportunity will present itself somehow."  
  
Sören grinned. "Hi Sure The Opportunity Will Present Itself Somehow -"  
  
Anthony tweaked Sören's nose. "Brat."  
  
  
_  
  
  
Anthony found himself missing Nicholas on Wednesday - even though they'd known each other for a short time, Nicholas had become enough of a fixture in their lives that his absence at dinner felt like something was missing. Even Rey seemed to feel it.  
  
"When's Uncle Grandpa coming back?" Rey asked.  
  
"Tomorrow," Sören said.  
  
Rey pouted. "That feels like forever." Then Rey looked at Sören and Anthony in turn, her eyes wide and pleading. "Can he move in with us?"  
  
Sören facepalmed, and Anthony laughed, face on fire. Yet, he couldn't deny something about that felt _right_. And it was scary for things to be escalating so quickly. Scarier still because they didn't know how Nicholas felt, though Anthony guessed it was at least somewhat reciprocal. But there was a difference between "somewhat reciprocal" and asking some guy you'd just met to move in and be a part of the family. Anthony didn't want to frighten him off.  
  
Nicholas was in good spirits when he arrived on Thursday evening with bags of groceries - both the ingredients for Sören's Icelandic Christmas cookies, and "dinner is on me," he explained. Sören and Nicholas worked together in the kitchen to make chicken and dumplings, something hearty for the snowy evening, while Anthony and Rey colored together at the table. Sören put on classic rock while they cooked, and every now and again Sören sang along, or Nicholas did - Nicholas had a rich baritone, he could have been an opera singer if he hadn't become a priest, then a chef.  
  
After dinner they all worked together on the Christmas cookies. Rey had a stool to work at the counter, and when it was time to cut the cookies into shapes she rode Sören's shoulders piggyback to point out the cookie cutters she wanted, waving her finger like a conductor waving a baton. When Sören was halfway through cutting out the shapes for _piparkökur_ , Rey said, "That's enough," in a very stern tone of voice that made Anthony laugh, and then Rey explained, "You have to share, and let him do some." She looked over at Nicholas.  
  
To Anthony's surprise and delight, Rey climbed onto Nicholas's shoulders, and he let her. It was comical and adorable to see Rey riding piggyback on Nicholas's shoulders, instructing him on which cookie cutters to use for his half of the _piparkökur_. Sören shared some egg nog with Anthony as they watched, and there was a wistfulness in Sören's brown eyes that echoed in Anthony's heart. Usually another Alpha trying to be fatherly with his daughter would make Anthony bristle slightly, but this just felt natural.  
  
When Nicholas's half of the _piparkökur_ was cut out, Rey stood back as they put it in the oven, and then she said, "Good job!" and hugged Sören and Nicholas in turn. Nicholas chuckled as he gave her a hug and head pats, and then he reached out to draw Sören into the hug, and gestured for Anthony to join them too.  
  
It was all Anthony could do to not kiss Nicholas right then and there.  
  
Once the cookies were done, Rey had to help the grownups with tidying up the kitchen before they could have any, and Rey grumbled a little, giving longing looks at the cookies, but did as she was told, and now Rey was singing along with the music on the radio too, Nicholas smiling fondly at a four-year-old's love of the music of his generation. Finally they had cookies and hot cocoa with whipped cream, and Sören started to laugh.  
  
"What?" Rey glowered, making Sören laugh harder.  
  
"You have a whipped cream mustache." Sören grinned at Nicholas. "You guys match now."  
  
Nicholas narrowed his eyes, but shook with silent laughter. Anthony chuckled as he took a napkin and dabbed at Rey's face. Then Anthony laughed harder after Sören took a sip of hot cocoa, and sure enough...  
  
"You have whipped cream on your nose," Anthony said before he took a bite of his cookie. Before Sören could wipe the tip of his nose, Anthony kissed it off, then kissed Sören's mouth.  
  
The look Nicholas gave them as he watched them kiss all but confirmed for Anthony that Nicholas, too, was feeling the spark there.  
  
Tidying up the kitchen and the warmth of the hot cocoa had an effect on Rey, who was looking sleepy. It was just before her usual bedtime, so Sören said, "I think someone needs to go visit Dreamland."  
  
Rey nodded and yawned.  
  
Anthony carried her down the hall and Nicholas watched as Sören and Anthony tucked her in. Then Rey looked at Nicholas, and then at her parents, and asked, "Can Uncle Grandpa read me a story?"  
  
"Oh, ah..." Sören looked down and ran a nervous hand through his curls. Anthony felt that twinge of anxiety too, not wanting Nicholas to be annoyed and feel like he was being used as a babysitter.  
  
But then Nicholas said, "I don't mind at all. What would you like to hear tonight, Rey?"  
  
"Can you read me The Grinch?" Rey smiled.  
  
Hearing Nicholas read _The Grinch Who Stole Christmas_ was entertaining, especially when Nicholas did different voices, and he even sang "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", which made Rey and Sören both giggle madly.  
  
Rey wasn't asleep when the story was over, but she was smiling. Now Nicholas gave her head pats and pulled up the covers. "Sleep well, dear," he said as he walked out; Anthony hit the light and took one last look at Rey in the blue glow of her nightlight, glow-in-the-dark stars shining on her wall and ceiling.  
  
"She's a love," Nicholas said softly. He sighed and frowned a little, as if he was reluctant to leave.  
  
"We've got a few stray dishes to tidy, like the cocoa mugs, if you want to hang around a bit," Sören said.  
  
Anthony fed Seumas as he watched Sören and Nicholas working together at the sink, feeling like he was going to jump out of his skin with anticipation of those two having "the talk". It didn't help that Sören's scent was strong again, and so was Nicholas's.  
  
And then, Anthony noticed Sören had hung mistletoe a few feet away from the fridge - Anthony realized Sören had done that just today, while he was at work. _You little minx._ Anthony grinned, before the tension returned. _Come on. Come on..._  
  
"I could use some more egg nog," Sören said. "Would you like some?"  
  
"I can get it, I'm closer -"  
  
"I don't want you to feel like a servant -"  
  
And they were both standing in front of the fridge, under the mistletoe. Sören tapped Nicholas and pointed up. Nicholas looked up and then the flush in his cheeks deepened, his mouth open with surprise. Before he could say anything Sören grabbed Nicholas's face and kissed him hard.  
  
Watching the way they melted to each other as their tongues met and played together... the way Nicholas's hands ran over Sören's body, before Nicholas pulled Sören close to him and kissed him back, deeply... Anthony was rock-hard now, hearing himself breathing heavily. It was too hot in the room all of a sudden, and Sören's and Nicholas's scents combined in the most exquisite way.  
  
When Sören and Nicholas pulled apart, Nicholas gave him a dazed look and then he looked at Anthony, with an apologetic little frown. "I should have asked you," Nicholas said, "if... if you're fine with sharing your Omega..."  
  
Anthony walked to them and said, "You can share me too," and then his mouth was on Nicholas's.  
  
They both groaned into the kiss as their tongues teased. Anthony's cock hardened even more, and he could feel the hard-on in Nicholas's trousers. Anthony's cock throbbed as he heard Sören gasp, and Sören whispered, "Fuck, that's fucking _hot._ "  
  
Nicholas blinked slowly when the kiss was done. He looked at Sören, then at Anthony, and then he chuckled - he had a goofy grin but it was endearing and weirdly sexy. "Well... this is... unexpected," he said.  
  
"When do we fuck?" Sören asked.  
  
Anthony double facepalmed, and Nicholas laughed harder, a deep, resonant laugh that for all the world made him sound like Santa. When Anthony took his hands away from his face Nicholas stopped laughing and now he looked downright bashful.  
  
"May I sit down?" Nicholas asked.  
  
They sat at the kitchen table. Anthony remembered the egg nog and poured them each a paper cup, though it wasn't egg nog he was thirsty for now. There was a long pause, then Nicholas looked at each of them and took a deep breath.  
  
"I like you both very much," Nicholas said. "Truth be told, I... think I love you, even though it's..."  
  
"Soon," Anthony said, nodding. "Yes, this is all... quite sudden."  
  
"But we mesh." Sören hooked his fingers together. "It feels right, and we all know it."  
  
"It does. I won't lie, I'm... very attracted to both of you," Nicholas said, his cheeks pink again. "But I've never..."  
  
"I mean, you were a priest, já? You were celibate all that time?"  
  
Nicholas nodded solemnly. "I knew I was gay, and yes, I believed that meant God wanted me to be celibate and not act on 'sin'. But since leaving the Church, I still haven't acted on... my desires. It's not out of fear of 'sinning against God' anymore, it's because I'm _old_. I will be sixty-six on the twenty-eighth. I don't know how to navigate the dating 'scene'..." Nicholas's fingers made air quotes. "I've never had a relationship, and I fear my lack of experience with that sort of thing, this late in life, might cause problems. There is also, as you know, the matter of my age."  
  
"We don't mind your age difference," Anthony said, and Sören shook his head vehemently.  
  
"Perhaps not, but I still feel like it would be unfair to you to begin a relationship and, in a few years, start to decline. Especially when you have a child, I don't want to traumatize her -"  
  
"It's not fair to _you_ to spend the rest of your life alone," Sören said. "Look..." Sören leaned back in his chair. "Both my parents died before they were thirty. You seem to be in really good health for your age - you probably have at least another twenty years left, if not longer, with medicine advancing all the time. You could live for twenty years, and either Anthony or myself could go tomorrow." Sören took Anthony's hand and squeezed; Anthony felt a twinge of sadness for Sören losing his parents so young, and the horror of life with his guardians. "All we can do is take the time we're given. If you shut us out because you're afraid we'll get hurt... that'll still hurt us. It'll still bother Rey to lose you if you walk away from us, possibly damage her moreso than if you just..." Sören couldn't bring himself to say the word _died_.  
  
"And we're not trying to pressure you," Anthony quickly added. "We know it's a major life adjustment, going from being single and celibate all these years to having not one but _two_ partners, and a ready-made family. But our door is open, if you're willing."  
  
"I want to," Nicholas said, "but I need to think about it. I want to be sure this is the right thing to do by all of us and not... just my hormones talking." Nicholas chuckled.  
  
"They're very nice hormones," Sören said, and then he clapped his hand over his mouth, realizing how ridiculous that sounded.  
  
Anthony laughed - little moments like that made him love Sören even more - and Nicholas chuckled too and patted him.  
  
"On that note," Nicholas said, "I should go back to my place, before it gets too tempting to give in." He rose from the table.  
  
"OK." Sören got up too. "I understand if you need to think about it some."  
  
"Try not to overthink," Anthony said, being prone to that himself.  
  
"I'll sleep on it. I should have an answer for you tomorrow," Nicholas said. He paused, like he was going to hug Sören, then resumed walking, like he thought better of it - like it would be too much of a temptation. But then at the door he paused again and waved. "Goodnight. And... thank you."  
  
The door had been closed for about a second when Sören began dragging Anthony off to the bedroom, kissing all the way down.


	6. O Come All Ye Faithful

"Hey, Brown Eyes."  
  
Sören smiled as he blinked his sleepy eyes open, and giggled as Anthony rained kisses over his face. He laughed harder once he opened his eyes and saw Anthony sitting on the edge of the bed in his solemn black robes and curly off-white wig.  
  
"Hi George," Sören said, reaching up to pet Anthony's wig like it was a cat; within the first few months of their relationship Sören had named Anthony's barrister wig "George" and liked to pretend it was sentient. Anthony chuckled and Sören raised an eyebrow. "Court today?"  
  
Anthony nodded. "It's my last day of work before holiday break and of course, they have to make sure I really earn it." Anthony chuckled and sighed. "Some people get to have office parties, I get to argue."  
  
"Mmmmm, well, I'll take care of you when you get home." Sören waggled his eyebrows.  
  
Anthony laughed and leaned in to steal a kiss. "Thanks, now I'll be climbing the walls all day thinking about fucking you senseless."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"Minx." Anthony kissed him again. His nostrils twitched. "God, you smell good." He tousled Sören's curls and then he was off.  
  
Sören went back to sleep - he wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, and wanted to get every minute of sleep that he could before his alarm went off and he had to start doing things like making breakfast for Rey. He loved his daughter and cat dearly but he hoped this wouldn't be yet another morning where Rey or Seumas woke him up before the alarm... he was feeling achy all over and a bit too warm. He hoped he wasn't coming down with something.  
  
Sören woke up with a start ten minutes before his alarm went off. He sat there shaking, feeling like he was burning up. He had soaked the sheets with sweat...  
  
...and slick.  
  
The scent in the room was overpowering. His pajama bottoms were drenched and he was still dripping, his thoughts replaying the dream he'd had of Anthony and Nicholas taking turns inside him. His hole twitched and his cock throbbed as his mind raced with the fantasies, every nerve of his body aching for his Alphas' touch, their kiss, their knots. _Cock cock cock._  
  
He'd been overdue for heat - the last one was just before Rey's birthday in April. But he still remembered the signs, having been through it enough times. He was annoyed that it was happening _now_ but he supposed the timing could be worse - his heats were typically three days, sometimes four. It was the nineteenth, which meant his heat would probably be over before Christmas.  
  
In the meantime... _Rey._  
  
Sören got changed, put a liner in his briefs for the slick, and went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and take a few deep breaths before he woke his daughter up. Rey made a face as Sören gently stirred her awake. When she opened her eyes she wrinkled her nose. "Mummy, you smell funny."  
  
"Yeah, I know, _elskan._ " Sören patted her, got up, and walked to her closet. He began packing her My Little Pony suitcase.  
  
"What's going on?" Rey asked.  
  
"You're going to stay with your grandma and grandpa for a few days," Sören said. That was the protocol he and Anthony had agreed upon when Sören went into heat - even though Rey was still too young to know what was going on, and indeed young enough where they didn't know if she was an Alpha, Beta, or Omega, she could still smell it, and more importantly, someone else was going to need to babysit while Sören was like this. Sören felt bad for Omegas with kids who didn't have someone to watch them when heat happened; he was eternally grateful for how easygoing Elaine and Roger, both Betas, were about everything. Elaine's mother and father had been an Alpha and Omega respectively, and Elaine had seen from her own experience growing up that Omega men had a bit more of a difficult time with heat.  
  
Sören also felt a twinge of guilt for shuffling Rey off like this, but to his relief, her face lit up and she clapped her hands together. "Oh boy! Gran says next time I see her we can make a gingerbread house! If I'm there for a few days maybe we can make an entire gingerbread _village_!"  
  
If anyone could design a gingerbread village, it was Elaine, an architect. Sören booped Rey's nose. "There you go," he said, and resumed packing.  
  
As breakfast cooked, Sören called Elaine - he had her number on speed dial. Unlike Sören, Elaine was a morning person and answered after the first ring; Sören smiled, realizing where Anthony had gotten his phone manners from. "Hello Sören," Elaine said. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm..." Sören gave a nervous little chuckle. "Having a visit from Auntie O -" What many used as a euphemism for Omega heat cycles. "And I'm gonna need you to watch Rey for a few days, if that's all right?" Sören bit his lower lip, hoping that Elaine and Roger didn't have plans to go on vacation for the holidays, but he thought Anthony would have said something about it.  
  
"It's all right, Sören. I'll head over soon."  
  
"OK." Blackheath was about an hour away, give or take depending on traffic. "Thank you so much..."  
  
"You're welcome. Do you need me to bring anything from the grocery store on my way there?"  
  
"Please, if you don't mind. Finger foods, ready-to-eat stuff that can be heated up quickly..."  
  
"All right. It'll take a bit longer with a stop at the store but it should be less than two hours."  
  
" _Takk._ "  
  
The day felt like an eternity. Sören fed Seumas and then played with Rey to keep her occupied while they waited for Elaine. But after Elaine came to take Rey and drop off groceries, the wait was even worse. If Anthony didn't have court Sören would have called him and asked him to leave early to take care of him, but he didn't want to interrupt Anthony in court so he made himself tough it out. By the time four o'clock came, Sören was a shaking, panting, whimpering wreck. Despite changing his liner every half-hour, he'd gone through three changes of underwear soaking through the liners, and his need was the sort that he couldn't handle just by jerking off or using a toy. He needed to mate with his Alpha.  
  
His _Alphas._ Sören swallowed hard, thinking of Nicholas. This was definitely a bad time to go into heat, when Nicholas was supposed to come over to talk some more about where things were going - his decision that he'd slept on.  
  
Everything else was going to have to take a back seat. The time drew closer for Anthony to get home from court. Sören wanted to be ready to get down to business right away. He set up the evening's food, and some bottles of water and electrolyte drinks. He changed the sheets on the bed - of course they'd be soaked again in no time - and then he took a shower, though he was already starting to sweat again once he left the shower, and then he got on the bed, laying on his stomach. He turned his head to the side and watched the clock, taking deep, slow breaths. _Soon._  
  
A few minutes later he began grinding his hard cock against the mattress, his thoughts racing again with Anthony taking him in different positions, Nicholas fucking him. Sören let out a little sob into the pillows, feeling like he was going to die of sexual frustration. His heats were always intense, but it had never been this bad. At least he knew Anthony was on the way, and soon, Anthony's knot inside him, soothing, pleasing, sending him into bliss.  
  
Sören sobbed again when he heard a car coming down the street. He heard two cars - he guessed Nicholas and Anthony were both getting home around the same time. Then he heard car doors close, and two muffled deep voices outside - Nicholas and Anthony probably talking to each other. Sören's heart pounded in his ears and he stopped himself from going to the window and calling down _ANTHONY, JUST GET UP HERE AND FUCK ME_. For starters, he was naked, and though something told him Nicholas wouldn't mind the sight, the other neighbors would.  
  
Sören got into position, face down, ass up, presenting. He could feel the slick dripping in anticipation. Then he heard two sets of steps coming up the stairs, and part of him screamed to get up and put some clothes back on... and the part of him that needed to _fuck_ stayed there, like his body was locked in place. Sören could hear himself panting. He was trembling again, needing to be filled, knotted, like he needed air to breathe.  
  
The front door opened. "Sören?" Anthony called out. "Sören? Rey?" And then, " _My god._ "  
  
Sören had a feeling Anthony could smell him all the way down the hall. He heard Anthony's steps march down the hall... and Nicholas's steps behind him.  
  
There was a growl, and it wasn't from Anthony. A frisson went through Sören at the sound of Nicholas's hungry growl; slick gushed out of Sören and he let out a little whimper.  
  
"Oh my god. You're in heat," Anthony said, his voice hushed.  
  
"I... I didn't want to disturb you at court. Rey's off with your parents..."  
  
Anthony quickly began undressing, and then, to Sören's delight, Nicholas did too - shyly, hesitantly, but undressing just the same, unbuttoning his shirt. The sight of Nicholas's silver chest hair almost undid Sören right then.  
  
"Oh god, please." Sören gave another whimper. "Please. Please, fuck me..."  
  
" _Fuck._ " Anthony's breath hitched. Anthony said to Nicholas, "Is that not the hottest thing you've ever seen in your life?"  
  
" _Yes_ ," Nicholas said. He growled again. Then he chuckled. "I suppose my decision has been made."  
  
Sören's heart soared.  
  
"Good." Anthony dragged Nicholas over where Sören could see it and gave him a deep, passionate kiss that made Sören's balls tighten and another pool of slick flowed out of him. Nicholas kissed Anthony back, and groaned into the kiss as Anthony unbuttoned the remaining buttons of Nicholas's shirt. Sören moaned as he watched Anthony's hands play over Nicholas's chest, fingers running through the silver pelt.  
  
Sören whined and wiggled his ass. "Please. Please, _please_ , fuck me, I need..."  
  
Anthony got naked first, and climbed on the bed. He lay down beside Sören for a moment to kiss him and pet him. "I'm sorry you've been going through this all day, sweetheart." Anthony kissed the tip of Sören's nose. "I'll make it better now." Anthony glanced over at Nicholas. "We'll make it better."  
  
Anthony gave Sören another kiss, and then he knelt at the edge of the bed and pulled Sören's hips, moving him closer to his face. Sören cried out as he felt Anthony's tongue brush around the rim of his opening in slow, lazy circles. "You are _so_ wet," Anthony husked. "God, it's like Christmas came early." With that, he plunged his tongue inside Sören and began to tease, as his hands caressed up and down Sören's back, fingers walking, teasing him even more.  
  
Sören howled, rocking his hips, fucking himself on Anthony's tongue. It felt so good, and even as Sören desperately needed his Alpha's knot, Anthony's tongue was a special kind of magic, lashing away inside him. Shyly, a now-nude Nicholas got on the bed beside Sören - cock fully hard, standing proud, dripping with precum - and Nicholas stroked Sören's cheek.  
  
"Hello, love," Nicholas said, his dark eyes shining, his voice husky with emotion.  
  
"Hi." Sören whimpered as Anthony's tongue slowed down, achingly, deliciously slow strokes.  
  
Nicholas leaned in and they kissed. They both moaned into the kiss; Sören could have cried at how sweet it was... the bliss of kissing Nicholas as Anthony's tongue played inside him. Anthony made little "mmmm" noises as he tasted Sören's slick, and Sören heard himself moan louder as Nicholas began to kiss and lick Sören's neck, as if he knew intuitively how sensitive Sören was there.  
  
"Fuck..." Sören shuddered.  
  
"You're so beautiful," Nicholas said. He took Sören's hand and guided it to his hard, dripping cock. Sören observed that Nicholas and Anthony were roughly the same size - Nicholas was a little longer and Anthony was a little thicker; Nicholas's cock was veinier, and had a slight upcurve to it. Sören gently stroked Nicholas's cock for a moment and then his fingers grazed the silver bush. He loved how hairy Nicholas was, and his fingers in Nicholas's bush gave him the urge to touch, feel, all that yummy fur. Sören grabbed Nicholas and kissed him hard, and then he maneuvered so he could begin licking at Nicholas's chest hair; Anthony moved with him, getting back in place so he could continue tongue-fucking Sören. Nicholas arched to Sören, groaning, as Sören's tongue and fingers explored him, tracing the definition in his chest and stomach, hardening his nipples. Sören loved the evergreen scent of him, which combined deliciously with Anthony's jasmine-musk.  
  
" _You're_ beautiful," Sören said, pausing to look Nicholas up and down before he resumed licking, caressing.  
  
"Thank you, darling. But we are here to take care of _you_ and your needs, are we not?" Nicholas gently pulled Sören up by the curls, and into another kiss.  
  
"Mmmmmm." Anthony came up then and playfully slapped Sören's ass; Sören let out a high-pitched noise and wiggled his ass at Anthony, wanting more. But then Anthony crawled over and kissed both of them in turn. The sight of Nicholas and Anthony kissing made Sören frantic, gripping the pillows white-knuckled, hole twitching, aching.  
  
"So..." Nicholas looked at Sören, then at Anthony. "Which one of us gets to take him first?"  
  
"Well..." Anthony smirked. "I have an idea."  
  
Anthony stood up, and Sören watched as Anthony went over to the bedtable and pulled open the drawer... and out came a pair of black silk scarves. Sören's eyes widened and he whimpered, hole twitching again, slick gushing. As badly as he needed to be filled, fucked, he also knew the release was so much better when Anthony tied him up and teased him.  
  
Anthony gently rolled Sören onto his back and gave him a sweet kiss before he took Sören's wrists one at a time and bound them to the slats in the headboard. He had Sören test the bonds to make sure they were neither too loose nor too tight, then, satisfied, he turned back to Nicholas with a smile. "We can make him watch while we have a bit of a contest."  
  
"A contest?" Nicholas raised his eyebrows.  
  
Anthony climbed on top of Nicholas and Sören bit his lip and moaned as he watched their hard cocks rub together. Anthony kissed Nicholas again and again, fingers running through Nicholas's silver chest hair, and then Anthony began to kiss and nibble Nicholas's neck. "Whichever one of us finishes last... gets to take him first."  
  
"I see." Nicholas gave a wolfish grin. "I look forward to making you spill."  
  
"Not if I make you spill first," Anthony said, grinning back, and gave Nicholas a deep, fierce kiss.  
  
Sören was already so close to coming, _right there_ on that edge as he watched Anthony and Nicholas rub hard cock to hard cock, kissing, caressing. It was the most erotic thing Sören had ever seen, and as badly as he needed to fuck, he was utterly lost in the sight of them teasing each other, the sound of every moan and gasp and sigh. Sören felt like he was going to lose his mind when he saw Anthony lean in and suckle at each of Nicholas's nipples in turn, the way Nicholas clutched at Anthony's head and cried out, trembling.  
  
"Oh, _god._ " Sören whimpered. "Jesus Christ..." The sheets were getting soaked with his slick again.  
  
Anthony looked over at Sören with a smug little smile, mischief in his green eyes. "You like that, do you?"  
  
"Ffffffffuuuckkkk." Sören whimpered again. "You guys are fucking evil."  
  
Anthony and Nicholas both laughed before they kissed again. Then Nicholas rolled Anthony onto his back and began to give Anthony the same treatment, licking at Anthony's patch of dark chest hair, lapping and sucking his nipples, cock teasing cock. Sören moaned at the sight of the precum flowing between their cockheads, making streamers.  
  
"Evil," Sören whispered, feeling like he could explode with the tension winding tighter and tighter throughout his body.  
  
"Mmmmmm, no, this isn't evil," Anthony said. " _This_ is evil." He rolled Nicholas back onto his back and then he rose up and shifted position, his head at Nicholas's cock, his cock in Nicholas's face. Sören saw Nicholas pause, looking bashful again, but then after Anthony drew Nicholas's cock into his mouth, Nicholas also took Anthony's cock in his mouth and soon Nicholas was sucking at it like a pro, making Anthony moan with his mouth full.  
  
Sören writhed against the restraints, panting, gasping. Watching his Alphas suck each other was too much, and he felt like he was going to die if he didn't get fucked soon, but oh, it was beautiful. Sören's whimpers were answered by Anthony's and Nicholas's deeper groans.  
  
But a few moments later, Nicholas tensed, and his eyes widened as if with shock, and then he began to shake, letting out a cry with his mouth full. Anthony's "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" of pleasure confirmed that Nicholas was coming in his mouth, and then after Anthony swallowed down, he gave that telltale shuddery gasp and quivered as he flooded Nicholas's mouth. The sight of Anthony's seed spilling out the corners of Nicholas's mouth, running into his beard, made Sören whine, hole twitching again. When Anthony pulled out of Nicholas's mouth, still dripping cum, Nicholas grabbed Sören's face and kissed him, sharing Anthony's seed with him. Sören moaned into the kiss, and gasped for breath when they pulled apart. "Please," Sören begged. "God, please. _Please._ "  
  
It didn't take long for Anthony to recharge. He untied Sören, and Sören's arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. Anthony kissed Sören, and the sight of Sören and Anthony kissing got Nicholas hard again - impressive for an elderly man, but then he was an Alpha; Sören couldn't help snickering a little as he remembered that Attenborough documentary about elephants, and the commentary on the elderly bull elephants having more intense musth. Sören stopped laughing as Nicholas kissed him again, and then Nicholas and Anthony were kissing again.  
  
"That was fun," Anthony said.  
  
"Indeed. We should... rematch sometime." Nicholas's eyes glittered.  
  
"We will," Anthony said, patting him. "But first..."  
  
He guided Sören into position, kneeling behind Sören, with Nicholas sitting up with pillows propped up behind him, Sören's face in Nicholas's lap. Anthony slapped Sören's ass again and Sören rubbed his ass against Anthony's hard cock, whimpering. "Please," Sören panted. "Oh god, please. Please..."  
  
Anthony paused, and Sören wondered why, and then Anthony asked, "Sören, did you pick up your birth control from the pharmacy the other day?"  
  
"Jæja, it's in the kitchen drawer, I stuffed it in there when I was putting groceries away and forgot to bring it up here."  
  
"OK, I'll get it later." Anthony gave Sören's ass a reassuring rub. Then he eased the tip of his cock into Sören's passage.  
  
Once Anthony was all the way inside - and knotted - Sören took Nicholas's cock into his mouth, their eyes locked. Nicholas groaned as Sören's mouth wrapped around him, and again as Sören began to suck slowly, teasingly, working his tongue as he sucked.  
  
"Oh, that's wonderful." Nicholas gasped and shivered, then gave a blissful smile. "You and your husband are both very talented."  
  
"Mmmmmmm."  
  
Sören loved this - having Nicholas's cock in his mouth as Anthony fucked him slowly, then a little faster. Sören loved it even more when Anthony slapped his ass.  
  
"That's it," Anthony rasped. "Show us how much you want this."  
  
Sören sucked Nicholas harder, faster. Nicholas's cry, followed by a deep grunt, almost set Sören off right then. He rocked his hips back at Anthony, matching Anthony's rhythm, and whimpered with his mouth full as Anthony reached to grab a fistful of his curls. Then Nicholas was grabbing his hair too.  
  
"Such a good boy," Nicholas husked, his free hand skritching Sören's beard. "Such a good, good boy..."  
  
Sören gave an urgent whimper, bucking against Anthony, needing to be fucked harder, needing to be pounded. Something about the older man - old enough to be his father - calling him a good boy drove Sören mad with lust. Sören sucked even more enthusiastically, his cock throbbing with Nicholas's moans.  
  
Anthony slowed down, teasing them both, and then he slapped Sören's ass. "Tease him too."  
  
Sören pulled Nicholas's cock out of his mouth and started to lick it, long and slow strokes of his tongue then faster, tongue-bathing it. Nicholas gasped and sighed and groaned. "Oh, that's good," Nicholas growled. "Good boy..."  
  
Sören whimpered and drew the head of Nicholas's cock back into his mouth, kissing it, moaning with his mouth full.  
  
Anthony leaned down, his chest against Sören's back. Sören cried out with his mouth full as Anthony began kissing and licking the back of Sören's neck, and shoulder. Sören resumed licking Nicholas's cock, giving Anthony a show, and Anthony exhaled sharply. "You are so fucking hot," Anthony said, nibbling Sören's neck. "So, so fucking hot..."  
  
Sören whined and began sucking Nicholas's cock again, greedy for it. Anthony sped up, an arm around Sören as their hips slapped together, and the wet slurping sound of each thrust rose above their groans and cries. Anthony's other arm reached out and took Nicholas's hand, and Nicholas's other hand was in Sören's hair. Nicholas's breath was coming out in little gasps now and Sören reached to play with Nicholas's balls, smiling around the cock in his mouth as he felt Nicholas's balls tightening. Soon...  
  
Anthony was pounding away at Sören now. Sören's thighs quivered, feeling himself bear down, the edge building and building, pleasure deeper and higher, taking all that Anthony had to give, needing to come but never wanting him to stop, each stroke of Anthony's cock inside him - each pulse of Anthony's knot - more and more delicious. Anthony's hand let go of Nicholas's and reached up to tease one of Nicholas's nipples. Nicholas threw his head back and gave a fierce shout as he came in Sören's mouth. The smoky-sweet taste of Nicholas's seed set Sören off, screaming with his mouth full as he climaxed, spurting cum, gushing slick, melting with ecstasy. A few thrusts later Anthony came too, shaking, panting, and then Anthony's teeth were in Sören's neck, biting... claiming.  
  
"Oh god." Sören laughed and cried at the same time as the pleasure throbbed through him, as the room spun and he felt like he was flying. "Oh god... shit... fuck..."  
  
"Fuck." Anthony laughed too as he caught his breath. "God, I came hard." He shivered again, another jet of his seed flooding Sören.  
  
As Anthony stayed knotted inside him, Sören rested his head in Nicholas's lap, and gave a happy sigh as Nicholas began to pet and skritch his curls, massaging his scalp. "That was delightful," Nicholas said, smiling.  
  
"Just wait, there'll be more," Anthony said. He kissed the back of Sören's shoulder and patted it. "His heats last about three days."  
  
Nicholas chuckled. "I feel utterly spoilt."  
  
"You'll feel utterly exhausted by the time the three days are over, but it'll be worth it." Anthony kissed Sören's cheek.  
  
When Anthony's knot receded, the three found their way into a cuddle-pile, Sören and Anthony both snuggled up together in Nicholas's chest, holding each other as Nicholas pet them both. "My boys," Nicholas said.  
  
Sören felt himself grinning like an idiot - happy tears burning his eyes. He had grown to love Nicholas in such a short time... and he loved Anthony even more for being willing to share. For loving him too. Opening his heart, their lives, to give Nicholas the companionship and pleasure he'd been denying himself for so long.  
  
Sören dozed off for a bit, and when he came to he was horny again, the urge to mate almost unbearable. Anthony's eyes opened and he growled when he smelled Sören again. Before Sören could say anything, Anthony pulled him into a deep, fierce kiss, Anthony's fingers walking over Sören's chest, brushing a pierced nipple here and there.  
  
"You want it again, don't you?" Anthony narrowed his eyes, already knowing the answer to that.  
  
Sören nodded and whimpered.  
  
Anthony kissed him again, and Sören cried out into the kiss as he felt Anthony's hard cock bump up against his. For a moment they just kissed, hard cocks rubbing together, before Nicholas turned Sören's face to kiss him too. Then Nicholas and Anthony kissed again and Sören whined, slick gushing down his leg.  
  
"How do you want it, sweetheart?" Anthony asked, stroking Sören's cheek.  
  
"Yes?" Sören laughed, and then he looked down at Anthony's cock, and now at Nicholas's cock, risen and rubbing theirs. Sören swallowed hard and admitted hist most forbidden, debauched fantasy. "I want both of you inside me, at once." It would be a tight fit, but he was very, very slick, and Anthony's hard fucking had opened him up nicely.  
  
Anthony pulled back, and guided Sören on top of Nicholas, who continued laying on his back. Sören straddled Nicholas's hips and began to sink down, slowly, Nicholas's hands in his as Nicholas stretched and filled him. Once Nicholas was all the way inside, Nicholas sighed, a beatific look on his face that made Sören smile. Sören moaned as Nicholas ran his hands over Sören's body.  
  
"Lovely," Nicholas husked. "Such a beautiful, lovely boy." His hand rested on Sören's heart. "Such a good boy."  
  
Sören took Nicholas's hand and kissed it, and then he began to ride, moving up and down slowly, teasing them. Anthony watched, gently stroking himself, and then he got behind Sören and guided his cock. One arm wrapped around Sören from behind, holding him tight as he pushed, tighter and tighter, but then both of them were inside, and all three of them cried out at that feeling of being joined, three become one.  
  
Both of Anthony's arms were around Sören now and he began to kiss the back of Sören's neck. They kept the rhythm slow at first, giving Sören time to adjust to the fullness - and to let them savor. Sören realized that they weren't just feeling him wrapped around them, tighter than before, but they were pleasing each other too, cock rubbing cock... knot rubbing knot. Sören whimpered, riding a little harder, and Anthony's hand reached down to stroke Sören's cock.  
  
"That's a good boy," Nicholas husked, reaching up to play with Sören's nipples, and his nipple rings. "Such a good, beautiful boy."  
  
"Oh god." Sören moaned, and again, louder, when Anthony tilted Sören's face so they could kiss.  
  
All sense of time seemed to stop, Sören completely lost in the pleasure of the push and pull of Nicholas and Anthony's cocks, and Anthony's and Nicholas's hands sliding over him, exploring, teasing all his sensitive places. Sören loved kissing Anthony, loved it even more when Anthony kissed, licked, and nibbled his neck, growling.  
  
It was even better when Sören and Anthony leaned down, and now Sören and Nicholas could kiss, while Anthony continued kissing Sören's neck, setting the pace harder, faster. When Nicholas and Anthony were both hammering away inside him, Sören howled and screamed, the wet suctioning sound of their cocks in his slick passage almost louder than his cries. Nicholas pet Anthony's hair with one hand, stroked Sören's face with the other. "My boys," Nicholas husked. "My good boys..."  
  
Anthony groaned and bit Sören's shoulder, slamming into him even harder; clearly Anthony liked that too. Sören whimpered, feeling himself climbing that edge, bracing himself for the release.  
  
It felt like it took forever and yet it wasn't that much longer, the three of them panting, gasping, hips slapping in frenzied, fevered time. Sören got closer and closer, and then when Nicholas began to kiss Sören's neck and throat, Sören made a high-pitched noise, feeling himself rush to that point of no return. When Nicholas's teeth were on his neck, the claiming bite of an Alpha, Sören screamed as his orgasm shattered him, then Nicholas and Anthony were crying out too, coming together. The mental image of their cocks shooting together, cock spraying cock with seed, made Sören come even harder, letting out another blast of cum and jet of slick as he shuddered, burying his face into Nicholas's chest, sobbing with relief and joy.  
  
Nicholas began to rock them both. He picked up Sören's head and cupped Sören's chin with his hand as he rained tender little kisses over Sören's face, rubbed noses. "Oh, love." Nicholas's eyes were too bright. "Darling..." His voice shook.  
  
Sören kissed him hard, and felt Nicholas quaking with silent tears. Sören held him tight, and rubbed his nose in Nicholas's beard as Nicholas cried a bit less silently.  
  
"You're not alone anymore," Sören said, taking Nicholas's hand. Anthony took Nicholas's other hand.  
  
"Let us love you," Anthony said, squeezing Nicholas's hand. Then he chuckled. "Share this horny Omega before he kills me."  
  
Nicholas's laughter rang out. "Twist my arm, why don't you."  
  
"I'll twist something." Sören kissed Nicholas's nose.  
  
Then Nicholas sighed, and scowled a little.  
  
"What?" Sören felt a sudden panic.  
  
"Oh... not that I mind... enjoying your heat... but I did hope to get some last-minute Christmas shopping done," Nicholas said. He chuckled. "I don't want the Yule Cat to eat you, now."  
  
"The Yule Cat can't eat you if I eat you first." Sören nibbled on Nicholas's neck. "And we can wear each other! See, I helped!"  
  
"Yes, you're very helpful." Anthony patted Sören's head.  
  
Sören heard the sound of church bells in the distance - but this was his religion, this was his heaven. He smiled as his eyes got heavy and he drifted off in the fortress of his Alphas' arms.


	7. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

**Valentine's Day 2015**   
  


Over the last almost-two months, Nicholas had been seeing a lot of Sören and Anthony. So much so that he was spending less and less time at his flat, only sleeping there occasionally to give Sören and Anthony a night to themselves. Twice, since they'd gotten together in late December, Anthony had let Sören and Nicholas spend an evening together while he went to visit his parents.  
  
But it was starting to not make sense to maintain a separate flat and pay a monthly rent for a place he was barely using. And above and beyond that, Nicholas didn't like leaving them, feeling like a piece of him was being ripped out each time.  
  
Nicholas had thought about broaching the subject of living together with them, but the relationship itself had escalated quickly enough and he didn't want to frighten them by moving too fast, even if they were already practically living together. It was one thing for Nicholas to spend the night with them more often than not, another thing entirely for them to share space all the time. Sören and Anthony's flat was really only big enough for the two of them and their daughter, not a third person and all of his belongings.  
  
But finally, on Valentine's Day, Nicholas decided he was going to just stop dancing around it and go ahead and ask. He thought the worst they could do was say "not yet". And his protective Alpha urges were brought out by the fact that Sören had been feeling under the weather the last few days, including running to the bathroom with dry heaves. Anthony took care of Sören, but Nicholas would feel more at ease if there were two people available to care for him.  
  
Sören wasn't feeling up to going out, which was OK - after Rey went to bed, they got Chinese takeaway delivered for a quiet romantic evening at home. As they waited for the food, Nicholas rubbed Sören's back and Anthony massaged Sören's feet.  
  
They took turns feeding each other bites of shrimp and chicken, forkfuls of rice, silly and playful. When the meal was over, Sören lay across Nicholas and Anthony, the two of them leaning up against each other as they pet Sören together. "That was perfect," Sören said. "This even moreso." He smiled adoringly at them; the love in those sweet brown eyes always took Nicholas's breath away.  
  
"I like evenings like this," Anthony said.  
  
"The only thing that would make it better is if we could all take a bubble bath together but the tub is barely big enough for one of us to fit in, never mind the three of us." Sören pouted.  
  
Nicholas swallowed hard. He opened his mouth, preparing to ask the question about living together - finding a bigger place, perhaps one with a bigger tub, or getting one custom-built, and then Sören cleared his throat and said, "Somewhat related, I have a little announcement."  
  
"Oh?" Nicholas's heart skipped a beat, wondering what it could be.  
  
Sören looked at Anthony, then Nicholas, and nodded. "I'm pregnant."  
  
Anthony grinned. "Hi Pregnant, I'm Anthony -"  
  
"ANTHONY, THAT'S MY ROUTINE, DAMMIT." Sören tweaked Anthony's nose, and Anthony chuckled, then he patted Sören.  
  
Nicholas's mouth hung open and all of his carefully practiced points about why he wanted to live with them, why it would be good for all of them, went flying away. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then he had a recollection of Anthony asking Sören if he'd picked up the birth control at the pharmacy and it was down in the kitchen drawer and of course it had never been brought out, even though trips were made to the kitchen to give Seumas food and water, and put together more food for the heat nest.  
  
"So..." Nicholas blinked slowly. "This happened during your last heat?" He felt immediately like an idiot for saying it.  
  
Sören just nodded, laughing. "The heat before that was in late March before Rey's last birthday so yes, I'd have had it already."  
  
"That means either of us could be the father," Anthony said.  
  
Sören nodded again.  
  
"Well..." Anthony smiled at Nicholas and gave him a little kiss. "I don't really care whose it is, I would treat it like both of ours."  
  
Nicholas smiled back - grinned, even though he knew he looked ridiculous - fighting back the urge to leap off the couch and shout for joy. Never in his life had Nicholas Decaux thought he would be fathering a child, and yet he was sort of a second father to Rey... and now there was a possibility the child Sören was carrying was his.  
  
"I hope that's OK," Sören said, looking into Nicholas's eyes.  
  
Nicholas grabbed Sören and kissed him hard. When they pulled apart he began to weep quietly... happy tears. Part of him felt a little guilty, not knowing how long he'd be around, not wanting to die when the child was young... but he also felt like he'd been given a new lease on life. He'd had more vigor these last few weeks, his arthritis had been bothering him less.  
  
"One thing, though." Anthony looked at Sören, then at Nicholas. "We're... going to need to move into a bigger place."  
  
Nicholas nodded. "I'd thought about asking if we could live together before you made the announcement." Nicholas stroked Sören's face.  
  
"Yeah, I don't want to leave Brighton, but I'm sure there's a three-bedroom, one for us, one for each of the kids."  
  
Nicholas realized he'd have to part with some of his furniture, if the house wasn't big enough for all of it, but that seemed like a very small price to pay for what he was getting out of it. Two children... two partners.  
  
Nicholas and Anthony both had their hands on Sören's stomach now. They kissed each other, then took turns kissing Sören. Then Sören patted them and climbed off of them, stretched, and looked down the hall, and back at them.  
  
"We should celebrate," Sören said.  
  
Anthony picked Sören up off the floor and began carrying him down the hall. Nicholas followed, his steps feeling lighter than air. When they reached the bedroom, Nicholas took them both into his arms and spun them around - so silly and undignified, but he was downright giddy. It was like Christmas all over again.


End file.
